Museum Role For Wartime Hut

A World War Two Nissen hut has been saved from demolition and could form part of the Island's new military museum at Ronaldsway Airport.

The museum will be situated in a former bungalow on the airfield and is being opened by the Manx Aviation Preservation Society later this year.

Members of the society carefully dismantled and removed the hut at the week-end from the Isle of Man Water Authority site behind Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, which was formerly a Royal Navy hospital during the war.

MAPS press officer Dean Johnson said: 'It was a major effort for our members as we've been working full tilt on our museum, but as the hut was scheduled for demolition, time was of the essence.'

'We selected the hut which we felt would give us the best option for preservation, with a long-term view of possibly reassembling it at our museum, subject to planning permission.'

'We would then have extra space to house larger exhibits as airframes and aero engines. It is a double bonus that this is a genuine wartime structure and Royal Navy too, Ronaldsway a former naval base.'

The above newspaper article appeared in the Isle of Man Courier, August 10th, 2000.