Larne played an important role in the First World War due to its strategic location, as well as providing a port for troops and supplies it had a more important role in helping tackle the U-Boat crisis which was prevalent in the North-Western approaches and around the north coast where the convoys would arrive and disperse. By 1915 the Royal Navy reserve had dozens of ships based here which engaged in varies roles like minesweeping, patrols and convoy support. Submarine activity was high around these shores, during this time many ships were lost to torpedoes and mines, including the 14,348 ton Cunard liner ‘Tuscania’ which was torpedoed seven miles north of Rathin Island by UB-77.

 During the Second World War the port once again played a major role, as well as operational anti-submarine activity, it is estimated that during this time five million people passed through the port, the vast majority of those service personnel. When America entered the war the first troops to land in the European Theatre arrived at Larne on January 24th 1942 aboard convoy NA-1 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, they detached at Lough Foyle.  The first American Army Air Force (USAAF) disembarked at Larne in July 1942.  Thousand followed including those who would train and take part in the Normandy landings in 1944. There were many camps around Larne including Redhill at Ballycarry.  After the war, the port continued to develop which you can read about on the other menu pages.