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Unknown piece of Larne’s WW2 history uncovered!



A recent donation at Larne Museum & Arts Centre has brought to light a previously untold story from World War II in Larne.

During the Second World War, Larne Lough was used as an anti-submarine training base, with Sir Thomas Sopwith’s yacht, ‘Philante’, acting as the floating headquarters.

Rosie Gordon recalls that her father, Lt Comm Albert Wesley ‘Bertie’ Anderson, of the Royal Navy Voluntary Reserve, was a gunnery officer on board the armed yacht, in Larne, from February 1944 until January 1945.

While stationed in Larne, Bertie invented the ‘Larne Splash Target’, which was used for surface and aircraft weapons practice.


Pictured is local model maker, George Bouma, with a scale model of the Larne Splash Target.

Prior to the invention of the target, plywood boats were constructed which was time consuming and expensive. The Larne Target is a simple raft target measuring 1.5 x 1.3 metres with scoops that produce plumes of water when towed at up to 30 knots. Gunners would aim at the arc of spray and could clearly see if their aim was successful.

‘The Larne Target’ became used for gunnery practice throughout the Royal Navy and was also adopted by the US Navy. The Target is still in use today.


A small exhibition telling the story of the Larne Splash Target is now on display at Larne Museum & Arts Centre until the end of May. The display includes a miniature scale model of the splash target made by local model maker, George Bouma.

For more information, please contact Larne Museum & Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Road, Larne, BT40 1RN. Tel: 028 28 262443.




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