Darrell's Island is a small island within the

Great Sound The Great Sound is large ocean inlet (a sound) located in Bermuda. It may be the submerged remains of a Pre-Holocene volcanic caldera. Other geologists dispute the origin of the Bermuda Pedestal as a volcanic hotspot. Geography The Great Sound d ...

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

. It lies in the southeast of the sound, and is in the north of

Warwick Parish Warwick Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named after Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587-1658). It is located in the central south of the island chain, occupying part of the main island to the southeast of the Great Soun ...

. The island is owned by the Bermuda Government.

Early history

The 1621 version of

Richard Norwood Richard Norwood (1590? – 1675) was an English mathematician, Underwater diving, diver, and surveying, surveyor. He has been called "Bermuda’s outstanding genius of the seventeenth century". Life Born about 1590, he was in 1616 sent out by the ...

's map of Bermuda shows Darrell's Island at that time appears to have been called ''Captain Tucker's Island'' (''"Ca. Turker Iland"'') presumably for Captain Daniel Tucker (Governor of Bermuda from 1616 to 1619). What is now known as Hinson's Island is shown on the same map as Darrell's Island (''"Dorrel Iland"''). 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 19th century. Darrell's Island was also used as a

quarantine station A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

. During the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

, it was used (along with several of its neighbours) as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

camp.

Modern history

In 1936,

Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...

built an air station on Darrell's Island. This operated as a staging point on scheduled trans-Atlantic flights by Imperial Airways and

Pan American Pan-American, Pan American, Panamerican, Pan-America, Pan America or Panamerica may refer to: * Collectively, the Americas: North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean * Something of, from, or related to the Americas * Pan-Amer ...

. The island was taken over as Royal Air Force Bermuda during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. After the war, it returned to civil operation until air services moved to new land-based facilities at Kindley Field (now

Bermuda International Airport L.F. Wade International Airport , formerly named Bermuda International Airport, is the sole airport serving the British overseas territory of Bermuda in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the parish of St. George's and is northeast of B ...

). Subsequently, Darrell's Island was briefly used for film location work.

External links

RAF Darrell's Island
Islands of Bermuda World War II sites of the United Kingdom Royal Air Force stations of World War II Warwick Parish World War II sites in Bermuda Royal Air Force stations of World War II in Bermuda {{Bermuda-geo-stub

Early history

Modern history

See also

External links