The MONAB Story

A history of the mobile airfields of the Royal Navy



Primary sources of information

 

Archives

United Kingdom National Archive (formerly the Public Records Office) - Cases ADM 116/5671 –5680 and various other related documents

The Naval Historical Library, Ministry of Defence - Admiralty Fleet orders & Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders. Access to various historical archives.

The Ships' Names and Badges Committee, Ministry of Defence - For confirming that no official, or unofficial, ships' badges were ever approved for issue to any of the mobile units or for H.M.S. Flycatcher (However, three have surfaced so far, appearing on materials produced by MONABs - se MONABs 4, 7, & 8))

The Fleet Air Arm museum, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset. - Access to photographs and archive materials held by the museum The author is extremely grateful to the late Len Lovell and his assistant Ms Ann Bell for their support and professional assistance.

CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation -  Information on U.S. Naval Construction Battalions, 'Seabee' units in Australia and the SW pacific..

 

Admiralty publications

CB 4368 (A) Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations (Home), (Text & Plates) August 1944 (Author's collection.)

CB 4368 (B) Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations (Abroad), (Text & Plates) August 1945 Author's collection.)

BR. 1807 Admiralty Handbook of Royal Naval Air Stations Home and Abroad, March 1949 + Amendments Author's collection.)

BR. 1807 Admiralty Handbook of Royal Naval Air Stations Home and Abroad, September 1955 Author's collection.)

The Navy List, Feb 1939 - Jul 1946 editions +various post WW2 editions where available

Admiralty Fleet Orders 1941 - 1945

 

ACADEMIC WORKS

Ashore, afloat and airborne: The Logistics of British Naval Airpower, 1914-1945
Benjamin Jones Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2007
Department of War Studies King's College, London
Downloadable PDF

 

BOOKS & PERIODICALS

CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation (2001), WWII Cruise Book 78th NCB (on CD ROM), Seabee cruise books onto CD ROM project, Port Hueneme, California.

CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation (2001), WWII Cruise Book 140th NCB (on CD ROM), Seabee cruise books onto CD ROM project, Port Hueneme, California.

IBrown, D. (1974) Carrier Operations in World War 2 – volume 1 the Royal Navy Shepperton, Ian Allen Ltd.

Crosley, R. (1986 They gave me a Seafire Shrewsbury, Airlife publishing. 

Harland, K. (198?) The royal Navy in Hong Kong since 1841 Liskeard, Maritime Books.

Hobbs, D. (2007) Moving bases: Royal Navy Maintenance Carriers and MONABs Liskeard, Maritime Books

Key, T. (1997) The friendly squadron—1772 Naval Air Squadron Upton upon Severn, Square One.

Melson, P.J. [Ed] (1997) White Ensign– Red Dragon, the history of the Royal Navy in Hong Kong Edinburgh Financial Publishing, Hong Kong.

Palmer, H.[Comp](1975) Jane's' Dictionary of Naval Terms Abingdon, Purnell Book Services.

Ryan, J [Ed] (1996) R.A.A.F. Maryborough, Wartime Memories 1941 - 45 Maryborough, Alston Printing .

Sturtivant, R. (1982) The Fleet Air Arm at war Ian Shepperton, Ian Allen Ltd

Sturtivant, R., & Balance, T., (1994) Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm Tonbridge Wells, Air Britain (Historians)

Sturtivant, R. & Burrows, M. (1995) Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945 Tonbridge Wells, Air Britain (Historians)

Warlow, B. (2000) Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy Liskeard, Maritime Books

Winton, J. (1969) The forgotten Fleet London, Michael Joseph Ltd.

 

Web Sires

H.M.S. Vengeance first commission
Ron Davis' comprehensive account of the first commission of HMS Vengeance - December 1944 through to August 1946; includes histories of 812 and 1850 squadrons, and is extensively illustrated with photographs and reminiscences. Photographs and extracts from this site have been reproduced by kind permission of the pages owner

The World Aircraft Carrier Lists 
Master List of US Carriers - Photographs from this site have been reproduced by kind permission of the pages owner

H.M.S. Slinger Association
The story of HMS Slinger.

The history of the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions, the Seabees
 Includes details of battalion and maintenance unit movements and billets during the occupation, development and maintenance of the Manus Island group as a major US base.

‘One Man's War’ Chapter 16 - NAS Pityilu.
Includes description of the island and its facilities

‘War Can Be Fun If You Don't Get Killed’ (No longer available)
The personal pages of Lyman Wood Jeffreys. Former USN pilot. Page 5 Pityilu. Includes description of the island and its facilities.

Maritime Album of W.T.Russell (No longer available)
The wartime photographs of the late, Leading Air Fitter William Tom Russell. This site is produced by his son Mr. Brian Russell, who kindly gave permission to use his father's photographs within this site.

 

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