I Flew My Drone to a Forbidden Island | Abandoned Gould Island
Gould Island in Rhode Island is an abandoned WWII torpedo testing facility that’s off-limits to visitors. So I flew my drone a mile over open water to film it for my latest video about the history and significance of the island.
Filmed/Edited/Narrated by Jason Allard
Follow me on Instagram: @Jason__Allard
Email: jsnallard@gmail.com
Drone: DJI Mini 3 Pro | Fly More Plus
Main Camera: Sony A7S III | Sony f/1.2 50mm
Editing: Final Cut Pro w/ custom plugins
Gould Island, located in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, is a largely forgotten but historically significant site. Known for its role in torpedo testing during World War II, the island was originally purchased in 1657 by Thomas Gould. Over the centuries, ownership changed many times, with wealthy families using it for farming and vacation homes. In 1918, after fatal accidents at nearby Goat Island, the U.S. Navy requisitioned Gould Island for a more isolated location to store and test torpedoes.
By the early 1920s, the Navy began developing Gould Island into a major torpedo testing facility, constructing a storehouse, warhead storage, a pier, and a seaplane hangar. The island played a crucial role in testing various torpedoes, including the Mark VII and the problematic Mark 14, which, despite its flaws, was used in WWII. The island’s torpedo test range included up to 100 firings a day, and a Navy blimp was stationed overhead to monitor the tests.
During WWII, the island’s infrastructure expanded rapidly, with new barracks, a power plant, and a firing pier built for testing. The firing pier, which had four torpedo tubes, remained in use for decades, even testing unmanned underwater vehicles into the 1990s. However, after the war, testing activities decreased, and many of the island’s structures fell into disrepair. By the 1960s, most of the buildings were abandoned, and the island began to deteriorate.
In the years following WWII, Gould Island’s torpedo testing operations were absorbed into the larger Naval Ordnance Station at Coddington Cove, and by the 2000s, most of the island’s structures had been demolished or collapsed. The island was finally cleared in 2023 as part of a comprehensive cleanup and preservation effort. Today, the southern part of the island is managed as a bird sanctuary, while the northern portion remains under U.S. Navy control.
Although Gould Island remains off-limits to the public, there’s hope for future access, as some of the land may eventually be opened for recreational use. The island’s military history has been largely forgotten, but its legacy as a key site for WWII torpedo testing remains a significant chapter in Rhode Island’s past. As you drive across the Newport Pell Bridge, Gould Island’s solitary presence in the bay serves as a quiet reminder of its wartime role and the hidden history just off the coast.
Abandoned New England
Abandoned from Above
Providence Journal
Historic ruins
WWII
World War 2
Urban Exploration
Adventure
Exploring
Jason Allard
New England
History
Urbex
Drone Video
Abandoned Places near me
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Providence
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Vermont
New York
Documentary
Top 10 Abandoned Spots
DJI
DJI Mini 3 Pro
Drone Cinematography
Drone Photography
Aerial Footage
Drone Filming
Drone Videography
DJI Drones
Drone Technology
Drone Shots
Aerial Drone Shots
Drone Camera
4K Drone
Drone Flight
Drone Battery Life
Drone Video Production
Drone Filmmaking
Drone Equipment
Drone Techniques
Drone Shooting
Drone Editing
Видео I Flew My Drone to a Forbidden Island | Abandoned Gould Island канала Jason Allard
Filmed/Edited/Narrated by Jason Allard
Follow me on Instagram: @Jason__Allard
Email: jsnallard@gmail.com
Drone: DJI Mini 3 Pro | Fly More Plus
Main Camera: Sony A7S III | Sony f/1.2 50mm
Editing: Final Cut Pro w/ custom plugins
Gould Island, located in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, is a largely forgotten but historically significant site. Known for its role in torpedo testing during World War II, the island was originally purchased in 1657 by Thomas Gould. Over the centuries, ownership changed many times, with wealthy families using it for farming and vacation homes. In 1918, after fatal accidents at nearby Goat Island, the U.S. Navy requisitioned Gould Island for a more isolated location to store and test torpedoes.
By the early 1920s, the Navy began developing Gould Island into a major torpedo testing facility, constructing a storehouse, warhead storage, a pier, and a seaplane hangar. The island played a crucial role in testing various torpedoes, including the Mark VII and the problematic Mark 14, which, despite its flaws, was used in WWII. The island’s torpedo test range included up to 100 firings a day, and a Navy blimp was stationed overhead to monitor the tests.
During WWII, the island’s infrastructure expanded rapidly, with new barracks, a power plant, and a firing pier built for testing. The firing pier, which had four torpedo tubes, remained in use for decades, even testing unmanned underwater vehicles into the 1990s. However, after the war, testing activities decreased, and many of the island’s structures fell into disrepair. By the 1960s, most of the buildings were abandoned, and the island began to deteriorate.
In the years following WWII, Gould Island’s torpedo testing operations were absorbed into the larger Naval Ordnance Station at Coddington Cove, and by the 2000s, most of the island’s structures had been demolished or collapsed. The island was finally cleared in 2023 as part of a comprehensive cleanup and preservation effort. Today, the southern part of the island is managed as a bird sanctuary, while the northern portion remains under U.S. Navy control.
Although Gould Island remains off-limits to the public, there’s hope for future access, as some of the land may eventually be opened for recreational use. The island’s military history has been largely forgotten, but its legacy as a key site for WWII torpedo testing remains a significant chapter in Rhode Island’s past. As you drive across the Newport Pell Bridge, Gould Island’s solitary presence in the bay serves as a quiet reminder of its wartime role and the hidden history just off the coast.
Abandoned New England
Abandoned from Above
Providence Journal
Historic ruins
WWII
World War 2
Urban Exploration
Adventure
Exploring
Jason Allard
New England
History
Urbex
Drone Video
Abandoned Places near me
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Providence
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Vermont
New York
Documentary
Top 10 Abandoned Spots
DJI
DJI Mini 3 Pro
Drone Cinematography
Drone Photography
Aerial Footage
Drone Filming
Drone Videography
DJI Drones
Drone Technology
Drone Shots
Aerial Drone Shots
Drone Camera
4K Drone
Drone Flight
Drone Battery Life
Drone Video Production
Drone Filmmaking
Drone Equipment
Drone Techniques
Drone Shooting
Drone Editing
Видео I Flew My Drone to a Forbidden Island | Abandoned Gould Island канала Jason Allard
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5 января 2025 г. 19:00:19
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