HMS Nabstock was a Royal Navy (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) which was located at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airfield RAAF Maryborough situated in Maryborough, Queensland. HMS Nabstock was also known as MONAB VI and Royal Naval Air Station Maryborough (or RNAS Maryborough).[3]
| HMS Nabstock Mobile Operational Naval Air Base VI  | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at RAAF Maryborough, Maryborough, Queensland in Australia | |||||||||||
  HMS Nabstock Location in Queensland  HMS Nabstock HMS Nabstock (Australia) | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°30′48″S 152°42′54″E / 25.51333°S 152.71500°E | ||||||||||
| Type | Mobile Operational Naval Air Base | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Department of Defence | ||||||||||
| Operator |  Royal Navy (1945) | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | Fleet Air Arm (1945) | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| In use | 1945 – 1945 (Fleet Air Arm) | ||||||||||
| Fate | Returned to Royal Australian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | |||||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||||
| Garrison | MONAB VI | ||||||||||
| Occupants |
| ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 30 feet (9.1 m) AMSL | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Source: Royal Navy Research Archive[1][2] | |||||||||||
Commanding officers
editList of commanding officers of HMS Nabstock with date of appointment:
Units based at HMS Nabstock
editList of units associated with MONAB VI, in support of disembarked front line squadrons and refresher flying training:
Function
edit- Support for disembarked front line & spare squadrons, Refresher Flying Training
Aviation support components
edit- Mobile Maintenance (MM) No. 5
- Mobile Servicing (MS) No. 9
- Mobile Servicing (MS) No. 10
- Mobile Repair (MR) No. 2
Aircraft type supported
edit- Grumman Avenger Mk.I & II
- Vought Corsair Mk II & IV
- Beech Expeditor I
- Fairey Firefly I
- Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. I & II
- Miles Martinet TT.Mk I
- Supermarine Seafire F Mk III & L Mk III
- Supermarine Sea Otter Mk I
- Vultee Vengeance TT Mk.IV
Squadrons at HMS Nabstock
editList of Fleet Air Arm first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units either based at or disembarked to RNAS Maryborough (HMS Nabstock) and MONAB VI:
Based squadrons
edit- 706 Naval Air Squadron, a Crew Pool & Refresher Flying Training Squadron, moved here from RNAS Schofields (HMS Nabthorpe), MONAB III, on 28 August. It was equipped with Grumman Avenger, Fairey Barracuda, Vought Corsair, Fairey Firefly, Grumman Hellcat and Supermarine Seafire. It moved to RNAS Nowra (HMS Nabbington) on 24 October 1945.[4]
Disembarked squadrons
editTorpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
edit- 849 Naval Air Squadron, a Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron disembarked from HMS Victorious on 23 September 1945, equipped with Grumman Avenger. Moved to Mascot (Sydney) on 24 September.[5]
Operational Training Unit
edit- 899 Naval Air Squadron, was an Operational Training Unit for Supermarine Seafire. Squadron detachments equipped with Supermarine Seafire L Mk III from RNAS Schofields (HMS Nabthorpe) arrived for Deck landing Training (DLT):[6]
- 4 - 27 July 1945 DLT HMS Indomitable
- 15 August 1945 DLT HMS Arbiter
- 10 - 13 September 1945 DLT HMS Arbiter
Air Sea Rescue Squadron
edit- 1701 Naval Air Squadron 'A' Flight, an Air Sea Rescue Squadron disembarked from HMS Begum 17 June 1945. It was equipped with Supermarine Sea Otter, an amphibious air sea rescue aircraft. It moved to RNAS Bankstown (HMS Nabberley) on 24 July returning on 7 August. It again flew to RNAS Bankstown on 15 October returning on 21. It moved to RNAMY Archerfield (HMS Nabsford) on 1 November 1945.[7]
Fighter Squadron
edit- 1770 Naval Air Squadron, a Two Seater Fighter Squadron equipped with Fairey Firefly I, moved from RNAS Schofields (HMS Nabthorpe) on 29 August 1945 and disbanded here on 20 September 1945.[8]
- 1834 Naval Air Squadron which was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV, disembarked from HMS Victorious on 23 August 1945 and its aircraft were withdrawn here. The squadron personnel then re-embarked in HMS Victorious on 25 September 1945.[9]
- 1836 Naval Air Squadron which was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV, disembarked from HMS Victorious on 23 August 1945 and its aircraft were withdrawn here. The squadron personnel then re-embarked in HMS Victorious on 25 September 1945.[10]
- 1843 Naval Air Squadron, a Single Seat Fighter Squadron, disembarked from HMS Arbiter on 4 June 1945. It moved to RNAS Jervis Bay (HMS Nabswick) on 14 July 1945. It was equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV.[11]
- 1845 Naval Air Squadron, a Single Seat Fighter Squadron, moved here from RNAMY Archerfield (HMS Nabswick) on 23 June 1945. It was equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV. The squadron moved to RNAS Nowra (HMS Nabbington) on 14 July 1945.[12]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ "MONAB VI - HMS Nabstock". Royal Navy Research Archive - The MONAB Story - A history of the mobile airfields of the Royal Navy. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Maryborough". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Hobbs 2007, p. 146.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 14.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 229.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, pp. 273&274.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 275.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 277.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 287.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 288.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 294.
- ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 296.
Bibliography
edit- Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
- Hobbs, David (2007). Moving Bases Royal Navy Maintenance Carriers and MONABs. Liskeard, Cornwall, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN 978-1-904459-30-9.