Campaign Booklet: The Isle of Man in the Very British Civil War

Introduction
The Isle of Man, set in the middle of the Irish Sea, was both strategic prize and political powder keg. Between 1938 and 1942 it slid into its own civil war, mirroring the chaos of Britain. This booklet provides a campaign framework for wargamers, allowing them to refight the Manx Campaign as a linked series of scenarios.

Factions on the Island

• Royalists – Based in Douglas and Castletown. Backed by the Governor (Sir Montague Butler) and the island’s Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Territorial detachment. Supported by business elites, veterans, and conservative farmers.
• Manx Nationalists – Centred in Peel and the west. Inspired by cultural independence and supplied by Irish Republican sympathisers.
• Laxey Socialists – Militant miners and dockers from Laxey and Onchan. Small but disciplined, with sympathies from socialist groups abroad.
• Albertines – Monarchists loyal to Prince Albert (George VI), concentrated in Kirk Michael and northern villages. Traditionalist, rural, and hostile to Edward VIII.

Campaign Timeline & Scenarios
1938–1939: The Build-Up

• Scenario 1: The March at Ramsey
  Protest march turns violent; Royalist police and loyalists clash with nationalist demonstrators.
  • Forces: 1 platoon of police/loyalists vs. equal numbers of lightly armed protesters.
  • Special Rule: Protesters begin unarmed; weapons are smuggled in mid-game.
• Scenario 2: Smugglers at Peel
  A Donegal fishing boat tries to land crates of rifles at night.
  • Forces: Royalist customs and coastguard vs. Nationalist militia with Irish volunteers.
  • Special Rule: Night fighting; limited visibility; smugglers must unload cargo.

1940: The Island Divides

• Scenario 3: The Battle of St John’s
  Royalist patrol ambushed en route to Peel.
  • Forces: Royalist infantry section + armoured car vs. Nationalist militia in ambush.
  • Special Rule: Ambush; Royalists begin in march column.
• Scenario 4: Douglas Under Threat
  Socialists from Onchan attempt a raid on Douglas docks.
  • Forces: Douglas Home Defence + LAA detachment vs. Socialist raiders.
  • Special Rule: If the Socialists reach the docks, reinforcements from Eire can arrive in later scenarios.

1941: War in the Glens

• Scenario 5: The Iron Men of Laxey
  Socialist miners defend barricades against a joint Royalist/Nationalist push.
  • Forces: Entrenched Socialist platoon vs. numerically superior attackers.
  • Special Rule: Miners’ barricades count as hard cover; attackers must clear the glen.
• Scenario 6: The Ramsey Rising
  Nationalists seize Ramsey harbour; Royalist marines attempt a counterattack.
  • Forces: Nationalist garrison vs. Royalist landing force.
  • Special Rule: Naval element – landing boats under fire.

1942: The Divided Island
Will the Manx Royalists become dominant or have they burnt themselves out? Each faction has access to a port so can be supplied, though the Royalists control most farmland. And there is the threat of other parties invading the Island catching everyone by surprise but with u-boats in the Irish Sea what next? It is all to play for in 1942.

Inspired and run by Paul Thornley