HMS Nabthorpe

HMS ''Nabthorpe'' was a Royal Navy, (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) situated at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Station ''Schofields'' located at Schofields, New South Wales during the final year of the Second World War. HMS ''Nabthorpe'' was also known as MONAB III and Royal Naval Air Station Schofields (or RNAS Schofields).

History

The third MONAB assembled at RNAS Ludham (HMS ''Flycatcher''), Norfolk, on 18 October 1944. The unit was designated as a type A (Small) MONAB, with the responsibility of providing support for a maximum of 50 aircraft. It was assigned the following components: Mobile Maintenance (MM) No. 2 and Mobile Servicing (MS) Nos. 3 and 4, a combination which was responsible for the Vought Corsair Mk II & IV, Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. I & II, Supermarine Seafire F Mk III and Fairey Firefly I. MONAB III was established as an independent command with its own accounts at RNAS Ludham on 4 December, when it was commissioned as HMS ''Nabthorpe'', led by Commander( A) E.W. Kenton, RNVR.

Stores, equipment & vehicles sailed aboard the on 4 December 1944, and personnel sailed from Liverpool in the on 22 December 1944 bound for Sydney, Australia. The main party arrived in Sydney on 25 January 1945 and were accommodated at HMS ''Golden Hind'', Camp Warwick, a part of the Royal Navy barracks in Sydney, whilst awaiting the allocation of an operating base and the arrival of SS ''Essex'', which arrived at Sydney on 4 February 1945.

An advance party was sent to RAAF Station ''Schofields'' on 5 February 1945 to prepare the airfield for the arrival of squadron personnel and aircraft which were to arrive with the British Pacific Fleet. Upon arrival of the main party of personnel they were accommodated under canvas tents as the station had no permanent buildings at the time.

RAAF Station ''Schofields'' was officially transferred to the Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS ''Nabthorpe'', Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Schofields, on 18 February 1945.

When 899 Naval Air Squadron disembarked from on 23 April 1945 the unit became a Supermarine Seafire Pool Squadron, but in July it became a Seafire Operational Training Unit, training RAAF pilots in naval flying techniques, including deck landings. Deck landing training was carried out upon the carrier for the first course, and for the second course. The successful pilots were to form the nucleus of the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm.

The 7th Carrier Air Group was formed on 30 June 1945 at HMS ''Nabthorpe''. It consisted 820 Naval Air Squadron, which operated Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber aircraft, and 1700 Naval Air Squadron which flew carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine Fairey Firefly. These were joined with what was the 24th Naval Fighter Wing from the , which was made up of 887 Naval Air Squadron and 894 Naval Air Squadron, l both of which were equipped with Supermarine Seafire, a navalised version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft.

The Commander in Chief of the British Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, , RN, visited RNAS Schofields (HMS ''Nabberley'') on 28 July 1945 as part of his tour of the support facilities in Australia.

HMS ''Nabthorpe'', MONAB III, was paid off on 15 November 1945 and RNAS Schofields re-commissioned as HMS ''Nabstock'', MONAB VI, on the same day.

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of HMS ''Nabthorpe'' with date of appointment:

* Commander( A) E.W. Kenton, RNVR, from 4 December 1944

Units based at HMS ''Nabthorpe''

List of units associated with MONAB III, in support of disembarked Squadrons and the provision of crew pool & refresher flying school:

Function

* 702 Instrument Flying Training & Checking Squadron
* 706 Pool & Refresher Flying Training Squadron
* Seafire Pool Squadron/Operational Training Unit

Aviation support components

* Mobile Maintenance (MM) No. 2
* Mobile Servicing (MS) No. 3
* Mobile Servicing (MS) No. 4

Aircraft type supported

* Vought Corsair Mk II & IV
* Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. I & II
* Supermarine Seafire F MK III & L Mk III
* Fairey Firefly I

Squadrons at HMS ''Nabthorpe''

List of Fleet Air Arm first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units either based at or disembarked to RNAS Schofields (HMS ''Nabthorpe'') and MONAB III:

Based squadrons

* 702 Naval Air Squadron, an Instrument Flying Training & Checking Squadron. It moved here on 4 September 1945, equipped with Airspeed Oxford training aircraft and North American Havard IIB trainer aircraft.
* 706 Naval Air Squadron was a Crew Pool & Refresher Flying Training Squadron which was equipped with six each of Grumman Avenger, Fairey Barracuda, Vought Corsair, Fairey Firefly, Grumman Hellcat and Supermarine Seafire. The squadron arrived on 6 March 1945 from RNAS Jervis Bay (HMS ''Nabswick'') and left for RNAS Maryborough (HMS ''Nabstock'') on 28 August.

Operational Training Unit

* 899 Naval Air Squadron, was an Operational Training Unit (OTU) for Supermarine Seafire. It disembarked from on 23 April 1945. The unit operated No.1 and No.2 RANVR conversion courses, equipped with Supermarine Seafire L Mk III. The squadron disbanded here on 18 September.

Disembarked squadrons

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadrons

* 814 Naval Air Squadron, was a Torpedo, Bomber and Reconnaissance Squadron which disembarked from HMS ''Venerable'' on 21 July 1945. It was equipped with the British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber, Fairey Barracuda Mk II. The squadron re-embarked in HMS ''Venerable'' on 13 August 1945.
* 820 Naval Air Squadron, a Torpedo, Bomber and Reconnaissance Squadron, disembarked from HMS ''Indefatigable'' on 5 June 1945, equipped with th American Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber aircraft. The unit re-embarked in HMS ''Indefatigable'' 1 July 1945.
* 837 Naval Air Squadron was Torpedo, Bomber and Reconnaissance Squadron which disembarked from HMS ''Glory'' on 16 August 1945, equipped with Fairey Barracuda Mk II aircraft. It re-embarked in HMS ''Glory'' on 1 September 1945.

Fighter Squadrons

* 801 Naval Air Squadron, a Single Seat Fighter Squadron which disembarked from the aircraft carrier HMS ''Implacable'', on 9 September 1945, equipped with Supermarine Seafire L Mk III, which was subsequently upgraded to the F Mk XVII variant.
* 880 Naval Air Squadron, a Single Seat Fighter Squadron, disembarked from the aircraft carrier HMS ''Implacable'' on 25 August 1945 and was subsequently disbanded on 11 September. The squadron was equipped with Supermarine Seafire L Mk III fighter aircraft.
* 885 Naval Air Squadron was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron. The squadron disembarked from HMS ''Ruler'' on 20 March 1945 and re-embarked on 4 April. Subsequently, it disembarked again from HMS ''Ruler'' on 5 April, before re-embarking on 14 April. The squadron later disembarked from HMS ''Indefatigable'' on 18 September 1945 and was officially disbanded on 27 September. The squadron was equipped with Grumman Hellcat F. Mk. I and II fighter aircraft.
* 887 Naval Air Squadron was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron which was equipped with Supermarine Seafire L Mk III. It was disembarked from HMS ''Indefatigable'' between 10 and 27 February 1945. It disembarked again on 5 June from HMS ''Indefatigable'' and re-embarked on 7 July. On 18 September, the squadron disembarked once more from HMS ''Indefatigable'', only to re-embark again on 15 November.
* 894 Naval Air Squadron was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron which disembarked from the aircraft carrier HMS ''Indefatigable'' on two occasions: first from 10 to 25 February 1945 and again on 5 June. The squadron re-embarked in HMS ''Indefatigable'' on 7 July 1945 and subsequently disembarked once more on 18 September. The squadron was equipped with Supermarine Seafire L Mk III fighter aircraft.
* 1770 Naval Air Squadron was Two-Seater Fighter Squadron which disembarked from HMS ''Indefatigable'' on two occasions: first from 10 to 27 February 1945 and again on 5 June. Subsequently, the squadron relocated to RNAS Maryborough (HMS ''Nabstock'') on 29 August and was equipped with Fairey Firefly I aircraft.
* 1772 Naval Air Squadron was Two-Seater Fighter Squadron which disembarked from HMS ''Ruler'' on 18 March 1945. Subsequently, the squadron embarked in HMS ''Indefatigable'' on 7 July and later disembarked from the same vessel on 18 September. It was equipped with Fairey Firefly I aircraft.
* 1790 Naval Air Squadron was a Night Fighter Squadron which disembarked from the escort carrier HMS ''Vindex'' on 13 August 1945 and was equipped with Fairey Firefly NF.Mk I night fighter variant.
* 1831 Naval Air Squadron was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron which disembarked from the aircraft carrier HMS ''Glory'' on 16 August 1945, and subsequently re-embarked on the same vessel on 1 September. The squadron was equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV aircraft.
* 1834 Naval Air Squadron was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron which disembarked from the aircraft carrier HMS ''Victorious'' between 5 - 26 June 1945, equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV aircraft.
* 1836 Naval Air Squadron, a Single Seat Fighter Squadron, also disembarked from HMS ''Victorious'' between 5 - 26 June 1945, utilising Vought Corsair Mk IV aircraft.
* 1840 Naval Air Squadron was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron which disembarked from the escort carrier HMS ''Speaker'' on 23 February 1945, and subsequently re-embarked on the same vessel on 9 March. The squadron was equipped with Grumman Hellcat F. MK. II fighter aircraft.
* 1843 Naval Air Squadron was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron which disembarked from the escort carrier HMS ''Arbiter'' between 1 and flew to RNAS Maryborough on 4 June and was equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV aircraft.
* 1845 Naval Air Squadron was a Single Seat Fighter Squadron, equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV aircraft, which disembarked from the escort carrier HMS ''Slinger'' on 25 February 1945 and subsequently re-embarked on 11 March.

Aircraft carriers disembarked from/embarked to

List of Royal Navy aircraft carriers that Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadrons disembarked from, or embarked in, at HMS ''Nabthorpe'':

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*

Satellite Airfields

* Woy Woy Aerodrome

Citations

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nabthorpe
Sydney in World War II
Nabthorpe
Royal Navy bases outside the United Kingdom
Naval aviation units and formations of the United Kingdom