Hundreds gather to see new RAF plane fly by Ramsey

P8 Poseidon flyingImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

The first P8 Poseidon arrived at a military base in Scotland in 2020

At a glance

  • Hundreds gather to see the fly over by the RAF's P8 Poseidon

  • The event marked the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic

  • The Queen's Pier in Ramsey was opened to the public for the occasion

  • Published

Hundreds of people have gathered in the north of the Isle of Man to see a special fly past by a new Royal Air Force aircraft.

The P8 Poseidon flew over the Queen’s Pier in Ramsey at a height of 1,000ft (305m) .

The event was a precursor to the weekend's commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic in Liverpool.

It was the longest military campaign in World War Two.

Media caption,

Hundreds gather to see new RAF plane fly over Ramsey’s pier

While the campaign started on the first day of the war, the commemorative events mark the point in May 1943 when the German forces conceded they had been defeated in the Atlantic.

The P8 Poseidon is a maritime patrol plane that monitors the seas around the British Isles and is a replacement for the Nimrod.

The town of Ramsey has strong connections RAF, which had airbases at Jurby and RAF Andreas during the conflict.

Ramsey Grammar School was also used for its operations.

The Queen's Pier, which is currently being restored by a group of volunteers, was opened up to the public for the occasion.

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