Ronaldsway was first used as an airfield in 1928 with passenger services to the UK starting in 1933, operated by Blackpool and West Coast Air Services (later West Coast Air Services). Further services were established by Aer Lingus and Railway Air Services (RAS) from 1934. From 1937 RAS operations from Ronaldsway to the UK were transferred to Isle of Man Air Services. In a 1936 expansion of the Ronaldsway Airport, workers discovered a mass grave believed to hold the remains of soldiers who died during the Battle of Ronaldsway in 1275. The airfield came under Royal Air Force control at the outbreak of the Second World War. Known as RAF Ronaldsway, it was one of the few airfields that continued operating civilian flights throughout the wartime period. The airfield was used by ? 1 GDGS (Ground Defence and Gunnery School) operating Westland Wallace aircraft, the drogues from these aircraft being fired on from gun emplacements on St Michael's Isle (Fort Island) and Santon Head. An expansion of the airport during the War led to the discovery of the archaeological remains of a Neolithic settlement belonging to what is now called the Ronaldsway culture, in honour of this site. RAF operations continued until 1943 when the airfield was handed over to the Admiralty for further development as a Fleet Air Arm training station. Now a naval air station, Royal Naval Air Station Ronaldsway (RNAS Ronaldsway), the airport was taken out of commission in 1943 for almost twelve months of extensive development undertaken by John Laing & Son. By the summer of 1944 the airfield had evolved from a grass landing area with a few hangars to a four runway airfield with the infrastructure to house and operate three training squadrons operating with Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers. Commissioned as HMS Urley (Manx for Eagle) by the Royal Navy on 21 June 1944, with accounts handled by HMS Valkyrie, flying recommenced on 15 July 1944. The airfield's main role was that of a torpedo working-up station. No. 1 OTU consisted of 710, 713 and 747 Naval Air Squadrons and these operated until the cessation of hostilities in 1945. The base was 'paid off' on 14 January 1946, and transferred to Care and Maintenance under HMS Blackcap. The nominal depot ship from 21 June 1944 was a 32' cutter named XXII, which itself was constructed in 1937. The airport reverted to solely civilian flying almost immediately after the war, but the airfield remained in Admiralty possession until sold to the Isle of Man Government for £200,000 in 1948, far short of the £1 million that the UK Government had spent on constructing the airport buildings and runways, plus the £105,000 that was paid by the Admiralty in 1943 to purchase the site. Several Manx-based airlines were formed in the early postwar years to operate scheduled and charter services to the UK mainland. A project by Ellis Brown Architects began in November 1998 to extend the airport and improve the facilities available to passengers. In March 2000 the new extension was opened, providing a new landside catering outlet, arrivals area, baggage hall, and departure lounge. The existing part of the airport was refurbished during this time to provide improved check-in facilities and offices, linked to the extension with a new airport entrance. During the extension and renovation period, the iconic Three Legs of Man sculpture adorning the airport's façade was also refurbished. In March 2006 funding for a further extension was granted by Tynwald to increase the number of departure gates, with work due for completion in summer 2007. In April 2008 Tynwald granted a major runway extension and resurfacing project at the airport. The runway was extended by 245 m (804 ft) out into the Irish Sea by the construction of a rock-armoured promontory. The development also included resurfacing of the runway and was completed in 2011.