HMS Nabbington, was a Royal Navy (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB), that was established at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Nowra at Nowra, New South Wales, in Australia during the final stages of the Second World War. HMS Nabbington was also known as MONAB I and Royal Naval Air Station Nowra (or RNAS Nowra).

History

The first Mobile Operational Naval Air Base to form, after being assembled at HMS Flycatcher, at Royal Naval Air Station Ludham, Norfolk, on 4 September 1944, the base was commissioned as an independent command bearing the ship's name HMS Nabbington on 28 October 1944, under Commander G. Nunnerley, RN. Established to support the aircraft carriers of the British Pacific Fleet, the base's stores, equipment and vehicles sailed from Victoria Dock, Birkenhead, aboard the SS Suffolk, and personnel sailed from Gladstone Dock, Liverpool upon RMS Empress of Scotland (1930) on 20 November 1944 bound for Sydney, Australia. After arriving in Sydney on 20 December 1944, the personnel set up at Warwick Farm racecourse, which had been converted into Camp Warwick, a part of HMS Golden Hind, the Royal Navy barracks in Sydney. Upon Suffolk's arrival at Sydney on 24 December 1944, Royal Australian Air Force personnel from No. 1 Transportation & Movements began unloading the stores and equipment for transport to RAAF Nowra, which was officially transferred to the Royal Navy on a loan basis and commissioned as HMS Nabbington, Royal Naval Air Station Nowra, on 2 January 1945. Some improvements and expansion were required in order to make the base operational, and these were undertaken during January 1945. After these improvements were completed, the base provided shore based facilities for the British Pacific Fleet's Carrier Air Groups when the carriers were in Sydney for repairs and resupply. During March and April 1945, issues with the runways at RNAS Nowra meant the temporary use of the satellite airfield at RNAS Jervis Bay in order to permit emergency repairs to be carried out on the runways and taxiways at Nowra which were deteriorating due to wet weather and heavy use. Flying operations returned to Nowra on 28 April 1945. The 3rd Carrier Air Group was formed on the 2 August 1945, at HMS Nabbington, as a spare carrier air group for the British Pacific Fleet. It contained 854 Naval Air Squadron, which operated the Grumman Avenger, an American torpedo bomber aircraft, 1843 Naval Air Squadron and 1845 Naval Air Squadron, which were both equipped with the Vought Corsair, an American fighter aircraft. When the Japanese surrendered on 15 August 1945, Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) or Victory in the Pacific (VP Day), was celebrated at Nowra and the men and women of HMS Nabbington marched through the streets. Nabbington, MONAB I, was paid off on 15 November 1945 and RNAS Nowra was subsequently re-commissioned as HMS Nabswick (MONAB V) on 15 November 1945.

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of HMS Nabbington with date of appointment:

Units based at HMS Nabbington

List of units associated with MONAB I, in support of disembarked Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance (TBR) Squadrons, the provision of continuation & refresher flying training and a fleet requirements unit:

Function

Aviation support components

Aircraft type supported

Squadrons at HMS Nabbington

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

Based squadrons

Disembarked squadrons

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadrons

Fighter Squadrons

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 Nabbington:

Satellite airfields

Citations