
PART ONE
Personnel for MONAB V began to assemble at RNAS
Ludham from 6th December 1944, for formation as a type B MONAB.
However due to a late policy change it was decided to a change the
units role, the planned Mobile Repair components were withdrawn on
November 1st and the standard Mobile Maintenance and Maintenance
Servicing units (part of a type A MONAB) were substituted, in
addition two Maintenance, Storage & Reserve components were
attached, the result was a hybrid MONAB, neither a type A nor B
MONAB but somewhere in between.
At the beginning of December 1944 the MONAB
formation base was a very crowded place; the personnel of MONABs III
& IV were not due to depart until the 20th and the programme called
for MONAB v and TAMY 1 to be simultaneously assembled. The
overcrowding was eased by splitting TAMY 1 in a similar fashion to
that for MONAB II; the HQ component was to form at Ludham and the
technical components at HMS GOSLING in Lancashire.
MONAB V was allocated the following maintenance
components to provide support facilities fort he following aircraft
types:
- M.M. 4 Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Martinet TT.I
- M.S. 7 Avenger I & II
- M.S. 8 Corsair II &
- M.S.R. 1* Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Hellcat I & II.
- M.S.R. 2* Seafire III & L.III, Firefly I
- M.A.T.M.U. No. 6
* Detached to operate under MONAB 1 on arrival in
Australia
This late change to the units component make up
led to considerable re-drafting and many ratings joined only a few
days prior to sailing from the UK; drafting leave had to be given
top priority, the necessarily large store parties came second and
familiarisation of ratings with their equipment and instruction in
tropical hygiene etc came a poor third.
MONAB V was no different from its predecessors
when it came to shortfalls and inadequacies in equipment and
training. In particular the preparation of the vehicles for shipment
was impeded by the inadequate servicing facilities and the delivery
of many vehicles too late to be properly serviced before
embarkation. In some cases, vehicles joined the convoy en route to
the port of embarkation. The main consequence of this was that no
time was available for checking the spare parts carried by each
vehicle. The M/T section suffered considerably because the ratings
allowed by complement were not yet available. In addition, the
complement of drivers for a typical MONAB was made out for an
allowance of 88 prime movers, whereas MONAB V had 122 prime movers
allocated to fulfil the new role.
Additionally the full complement of radio vans
did not arrive until shortly before moving off and therefore wore
not checked or tested before sailing. MONAB Staff found there was
insufficient time allowed to familiarise the unit's very junior
Telegraphist staff with the equipment supplied, most of them had
never seen the ground radio equipment before. Also, insufficient
numbers of specially trained and experienced air radio mechanics
were drafted, this necessitated many being sent on special short
courses, this meant them not being available for checking over their
equipment.
Storing difficulties prior to the movement of the
unit from the United Kingdom were considerable; it was the practice
that as far as possible all stores were sent by depots to Ludham.
This vast mass of stores (of which a disconcertingly large
proportion were in cases and crates weighing over 4 cwts {200
Kilos}) had to be manhandled several times between arrival at the
nearest railhead (a village station) and dispatch by rail again to
the port of embarkation. Some of the stores despatched from the
depots were delivered by road and needed to be uncreated for
overseas shipment. Many items together with a considerable quantity
of G-1098 equipment had to be re-cased or crated after acceptance.
Reports on the experiences of earlier MONABs and
their formation difficulties were not available for reference by
units currently forming, commanding officers reports on proceeding
were filled once the MONAB was installed and had not yet filtered
back to the MNAO staff. Consequently answers to the questions as to
how much cash, loan clothing and compo rations etc., should be taken
appeared to be left to the guesswork of the supply officer.
Despite the problems and obstacles encountered
during formation, MONAB V commissioned as an independent command on
February 1st 1945 bearing the ships name HMS 'NABSWICK', Captain H.G.
DICKINSON D.S.C. RN in command. TAMY 1 also commissioned on this
date as H.M.S. NABSFORD; both units were to be despatched together,
their personnel and equipment departed for Gladstone docks,
Liverpool, over night on February 16th for passage to Australia.
Up to this time, MONAB V had not been allocated
an operations site; negotiations with the Australian authorities to
secure further airfields on loan were being hampered by labour
disputes and delayed completion dates. It was decided to house MONAB
V at RAAF Jervis Bay, NSW as soon as it was ready. Upon its arrival
in Australia, it was to lodge at Nowra with MONAB I, a few miles to
the north of Jervis Bay until it was ready for occupation.
Personnel embarked in S.S. STIRLING CASTLE
(Transport J.4) for passage to Australia, sailing on February 18th
1945; the unit's stores and equipment were to travel in the S.S.
DURHAM, which sailed three days later.
Command of MONAB V transferred, temporarily, to
Commander T.K. MASTERMAN on March 9th 1945, Captain Dickinson having
been detached to assume command of MONAB I at Nowra.
The S.S. STIRLING CASTLE arrived at Sydney 29th
March and on disembarking the personnel travelled by train to HMS
NABBINGTON, RNAS Nowra, the stores and equipment following on a week
later. Both the M.S.R. units were detached to operate under MONAB I
once their equipment and vehicles were unloaded. Once collected
together at Nowra the personnel of MONAB V began transporting
equipment and erecting the various MONAB components at Jervis Bay;
the airfield was at that time operating as a tender to Nowra, and in
use for operational flying by MONAB I from March 7th. During this
period of installation the personnel were accommodated at Nowra,
there being hardly any permanent buildings or facilities on the
airfield at Jervis Bay.
 |
The men of MONAB V begin setting up
their mobile equipment at R.N.A.S. Jervis Bay. This unit
made full use of their mobile structures as the airfield
had virtually no permanent buildings. Photo:
From author's collection. |
On disembarking the unit's stores at Sydney, it
was found that a number of cases had sustained damage due more to
the rough handling given them by stevedores than to faulty
construction. A number of oases were lost in the general confusion
of stores at the docks and some of the N.A.A.F.I. stores had been
broken into presumably because the letters "NAAFI" wore painted on
the cases. Overall, however, the damage and loss were relatively
slight when it is considered that over 5,000 cases were brought from
the United Kingdom.
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Part 2>>
R.N.A.S. JERVIS BAY/R.N.A.S.
NOWRA
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Function :
Support for disembarked front line squadrons.
MONAB Components :
Mobile Maintenance 4, Maintenance Servicing 7 & 8, Maintenance,
Storage & Resave 1 & 2, Mobile Air Torpedo Maintenance Unit 6
Commissioned :
01 February 1945 (at Ludham)
01 May 1945 (at RNAS Jervis Bay)
15 November 1945 (at RNAS Nowra)
Paid Off :
14 November 1945 (at RNAS Jervis Bay)
18 March 1946 (at RNAS Nowra)

- Captain H. G. Dickinson D.S.C. 01
February 1945 to 09 March 1945
- Commander T. K. Masterman 09 March
1945 to 01 May 1945 ? (Temp in command)
- Captain H. G. Dickinson D.S.C. 01 May
1945 to 18 November 1945
- Captain J.F.H. Sawyer 18 November 1945
to 18 March 1946



RNAS JERVIS BAY
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