| |
MONAB VI commissioned at R.A.A.F Maryborough,
Queensland, as HMS NABSTOCK on 1st June 1945. The ceremony was
attended by Rear Admiral Portal, Flag Officer Naval Air Pacific (FONAP).
H.M.S. Nabstocks existence as a MONAB ceased at
this point, the unit becoming a Naval Air Station sharing the
establishment with the R.A.A.F Radar School and lodging on an
airfield which nominally remained under R.A.A.F control.
The first disembarked squadron to arrive at Maryborough on June 6th
was 1770 Squadron with 12 Firefly FR Is from HMS Indefatigable. They
were soon joined on the 15th by ‘A’ flight of 1701 A.S.R. squadron,
operating Sea Otters for air sea rescue and anti-submarine duties
disembarked from HMS Begum. This was to be the start of a long
relationship between 1701 and Maryborough.
1845 Squadron moved here from TAMY 1 at Archerfield equipped with 24
Corsairs on June 23rd. A further 24 Corsairs were to arrive on July
4th when 1843 disembarked from HMS Arbiter. Both Corsair squadrons
departed on July 24th, 1845 for RNAS Nowra, and 1843 for RNAS Jervis
Bay. The aircraft of 1701 also left for RNAS Bankstown on the same
day.
899 squadron operated between Maryborough and HMS Indomitable during
the 24th to 27th of July during Deck Landing Training for the first
conversion course of R.A.A.F pilots for the Fleet Air Arm, flying
Seafires.
1701 ‘A’ Flight returned from RNAS Bankstown on August 7th.
1834 & 1836 squadrons disembarked from HMS Victorious on August 23rd
along with 849 squadron disembarked from HMS Victorious with 14
Avenger IIs, the later departed for Mascot airfield, Sydney, the
next day.
August the 28th saw the arrival of 706 Pool Squadron which
transferred here from RNAS Schofields with a squadron strength of 36
aircraft. Another unit arrived here from Schofields on the 29th,
1770’s Fireflies transferred to make room at Schofields for
squadrons from HMS Indefatigable.
899 squadron again operated between Maryborough
and HMS Arbiter for DLTs with the second R.A.A.F conversion course
during the period 10th to 13th September.
The personnel of 1834 & 1836 squadrons re-embarked in HMS Victorious
September 25th for passage to the U.K. where they were to disband
upon arrival. Their aircraft had been flown to RNAS Bankstown for
disposal earlier in the month. They were to be followed by 1770
squadron which disbanded at Maryborough on the 30th.
October saw 1701 ‘A’ Flight move again to operate from RNAS
Bankstown between the 15th and the 21st before returning to
Maryborough. October also saw the departure of 706 Pool Squadron
which moved to RNAS Nowra on the 24th, its strength having reduced
to two of each aircraft type in service with BPF.
November 1st saw 1701 ‘A’ Flight leave Maryborough for the final
time, the squadron moving to TAMY 1 at Archerfield in preparation
for redeployment to Hong Kong. Flying operations had ceased after
October 24th when MONAB VI began migrating men and equipment to RNAS
Schofields, New South Wales.
Guy Fawkes Day, November 5th 1945, saw the arrival of M.R. 2 at
Maryborough, this unit moving from MONAB V at RNAS Jervis Bay.
The arrival of M.R. 2 is a strange event since Nabstock was already
running down to close its operations at Maryborough, and had been
since mid October. The decision having been made to reduce the
number of MONABs in Australia by closing MONABs I & III, Nabstock
was to be relocated, relieving MONAB III at Schofields.
MONAB VI paid off as HMS NABSTOCK at Maryborough November 14th 1945,
the unit transferring its commission to RNAS Schofields.
A small retard patty remained at Maryborough to
to complete the clearing up operations and to hand the facilities
back to the R.A.A.F. the last RN personnel left by train in early
December 1945.
MONAB VI commissioned RNAS Schofields as HMS
NABSTOCK 15th November 1845, replacing MONAB III which was paid off
the same day. Units present at Schofields at this time were 702,
801, 885. 887, 894 & 1772 Squadrons.
1772 Squadron embarked in HMS Ruler on the 18th November, this month
also saw 1851 squadron reduced in strength from 21 Corsairs to 12 on
the 26th. 1772 squadron returned on December 22nd, disembarking from
HMS Ruler.
The New Year saw the arrival of 1850 squadron which disembarked from
HMS Venerable on January 12th 1946 with 12 a/c. January 31st saw
1772 squadron re-embark in HMS Ruler for passage to UK.
Nabstock was now scaling down its operations,
there were no new arrivals after January 1946. The units which were
resident at Schofields were all to leave over the next five moths
prior to the stations eventual closure. 851 embarked in HMS
Venerable on February 22nd, followed by 1850 squadron on March 19th.
The last unit to depart, 1790 squadron, embarked in HMS Implacable
for passage to the UK on April 5th 1946.
The remainder of April and the whole of May were spent packing up
the MONAB equipment and stores, along with preparing the airfield
for return to the RAAF. Anything which wasn’t to be kept for return
to the UK was broken up and burnt in large bonfires on the airfield,
the remains of these bonfires were then ferried out into the bush
and dumped by the cleanup parties which had been drafted in to
replace ratings who had been released for demob after February.
HMS NABSTOCK and MONAB VI paid off at Schofields on June 9th 1946,
Schofields was returned to R.A.A.F.
|
Lt. Cdr (A) H.J. Lavers, the Lieutenant Commander
(Flying) MONAB 6, at the controls of a corsair at Maryborough.
[Previously served on TAMY 1]
Personnel of the Air Radio Section of H.M.S.
Nabstock pose in front of their containerised workshop.
Remembering
Maryborough;
"The airfield was still
occupied by the R.A.A.F, in the process of being handed over, and we
were the first Squadron to be supported by "Nabstock", after its
location there on 1st June.
Even though it was Aussie winter, it was hot at Maryborough, which
is well up the coast above Brisbane. There were therefore many of
the noises of the tropical night, including frogs. All of this was
new and fascinating to us youngsters. The citizens of Maryborough
were very good to us. One armourer trapped a young lady who had her
21st birthday while we were there, and almost the whole of the Sqdn.
armament section were there. The family was delighted to have so
many from "The Old Country" and, for once, they behaved themselves
reasonably well. (FAA armourers were noted as a rip roaring bunch).
There was a very intensive period of flying at Maryborough,
requiring a considerable amount of second line support. Although
this was good in many respects, there was a dearth of spares,
probably because the MONAB had not been in commission long enough."
Maurice Ayling
Aircraft Artificer 4th
Class (Ordinance) , 1843 Squadron
Personnel of MONAB 6
dismantling one of the Dorland hangers at Maryborough on October 18th
1945, in preparation for the move to RNAS Schofields
R.N.A.S., Schofields in
early 1946 – compare this with the August 1945
The main gate at RNAS
Schofields 1946.
Members of the MONAB 6 Fire
Crew pose with one of the unit’s crash tenders at Schofields.
All
images available in the photo galleries |
