Darrell's Island, Bermuda
Encyclopedia
Darrell's Island is a small island within the Great Sound
of Bermuda
. It lies in the southeast of the sound, and is in the north of Warwick Parish
. it is owned by the Bermuda Government.
The islands of the Great Sound were part of the Royal Naval land purchases
in Bermuda following the American War of Independence. The Royal Navy used the islands for various purposes in the Nineteenth Century. Darrell's Island was also used as a quarantine station. During the Second Boer War
, it was used (along with several of its neighbours) as a prisoner of war
camp.
In 1936, Imperial Airways
built an air station on Darrell's. This operated as a staging point on scheduled trans-Atlantic flights by Imperial Airways and Pan American
. The Island was taken over as a Royal Air Force
station
during The Second World War
. After the war, it returned to civil operation until air services moved to new land-based facilities at Kindley Field
(now Bermuda International Airport
). Subsequently, Darrell's Island was briefly used for film location work.
Great Sound, Bermuda
The Great Sound is a body of water shaped by the islands of Bermuda. It dominates the southwest of the island chain, and forms a natural harbour. It is surrounded on all sides by the islands, except for the northeast, where it is open to the Atlantic Ocean....
of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. It lies in the southeast of the sound, and is in the north of Warwick Parish
Warwick Parish, Bermuda
Warwick Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named for Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick .It is located in the central south of the island chain, occupying part of the main island to the southeast of the Great Sound, the large expanse of water which dominates the geography of western...
. it is owned by the Bermuda Government.
The islands of the Great Sound were part of the Royal Naval land purchases
Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda
HMD Bermuda was the principal base of the Royal Navy in the Western Atlantic between American independence and the Cold War. Bermuda had occupied a useful position astride the homeward leg taken by many European vessels from the New World since before its settlement by England in 1609...
in Bermuda following the American War of Independence. The Royal Navy used the islands for various purposes in the Nineteenth Century. Darrell's Island was also used as a quarantine station. During the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, it was used (along with several of its neighbours) as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp.
In 1936, Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
built an air station on Darrell's. This operated as a staging point on scheduled trans-Atlantic flights by Imperial Airways and Pan American
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
. The Island was taken over as a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station
Royal Air Force, Bermuda, 1939-1945
The Royal Air Force operated from two locations in Bermuda during the Second World War. Bermuda's location had made it an important naval station since US independence, and, with the advent of the aeroplane, had made it as important to trans-Atlantic aviation in the decades before the Jet Age...
during The Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, it returned to civil operation until air services moved to new land-based facilities at Kindley Field
Kindley Air Force Base
Kindley Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base in Bermuda from 1948–1970, having been operated from 1943 to 1948 by the United States Army Air Force as Kindley Field.-World War II:...
(now Bermuda International Airport
Bermuda International Airport
L.F. Wade International Airport , formerly named Bermuda International Airport, is the sole airport serving Bermuda, a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the parish of St. George's and is northeast of Bermuda's capital city of Hamilton. In 2006, L.F. Wade...
). Subsequently, Darrell's Island was briefly used for film location work.