Ronaldsway airport started live in the early 1930 and there were flights to a number of different parts of the British mainland from its grass runways. World War Two saw Ronaldsway being requisitioned by the RAF in June 1940 to allow No 1 Ground Defence Gunners School to move in and was renamed RAF Ronaldsway. It changed in 1944 when HMS Urley came into being and had as its main task torpedo bomber reconnaissance, mainly operating Fairey Barracudas. After the war it went back to civil flights, but remained in Admiralty possession until 1948, when it became the main airport for the island.