| HMSNabberley Mobile Operational Naval Air Base II  | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| atBankstown Airport,Sydney in Australia | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Mobile Operational Naval Air Base | ||||||||
| Owner | Australian Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator |  Royal Navy | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Fleet Air Arm | ||||||||
| Condition | nowBankstown Airport | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  HMSNabberley HMSNabberley (Australia) Show map of Australia | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°55′30″S150°59′18″E / 33.92500°S 150.98833°E /-33.92500; 150.98833 | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| In use | 1945 (1945) – 1946 (1946) | ||||||||
| Fate | MONAB decommissioned and removed | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | |||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Garrison | MONAB II | ||||||||
| Occupants | Flying units: Support functions:
| ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 25 feet (7.6 m)AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Source: Royal Navy Research Archive[1][2] | |||||||||
HMSNabberley was aRoyal Navy (RN),Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) at theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF) baseRAAF Bankstown inSydney,Australia. HMSNabberley was also known as MONAB II andRoyal Naval Air Station Bankstown (orRNAS Bankstown).[3]
Assembled atRNAS Ludham andRoyal Navy Air Establishment Risley,Warrington, in October 1944. The duties of HMSNabberley were changed from that of a MONAB to that of a Receipt and Dispatch Unit shortly after formation causing some administration problems. Due to accommodation issues 600 ratings were based atHMS Gosling, inWarrington,Lancashire. HMSNabberley commissioned as an independent command on 18 November 1944.[4]
The stores, equipment and vehicles sailed fromGladstone Dock,Liverpool on 20 November uponSS Perthshire (LS 1974) and personnel of MONAB II, in company with elements fromHMS Nabthorpe and other units sailed from Liverpool uponRMS Athlone Castle on 22 December 1944 for passage to Australia.[4]
HMS Unicorn carrying an advance party of MONAB II arrived in Sydney on 1 December 1944. The advance party arrived at RAAF Bankstown, together with 16 crated aircraft (8 Corsair IIs and 8 Martinet TT.Is) requisitioned from theRoyal Navy Aircraft Depot atCochin,India. The aircraft were assembled with RAAF assistance and the first aircraft assembled (Corsair II JT537) was test flown on 18 January 1945.[4]
After the main party arrived in Sydney on 25 January 1945, some proceeded directly to Bankstown, however most were temporarily accommodatedWarwick Farm Racecourse (Camp Warwick), a part ofHMS Golden Hind, the Royal Navy barracks in Sydney, until accommodation was sorted out.[4]
RAAF Bankstown was officially transferred on a loan basis to Royal Navy on 27 January 1945 and stores and equipment began to arrive at the station. The base was commissioned as HMSNabberley, RNAS Bankstown on 29 January 1945.[4]
The personnel began assembling crated aircraft and carrying out pre-issue test flights as a Receipt and Dispatch Unit. A total of 2,500 test flights were undertaken during the operation of HMSNabberley.[4]
On 14 May, 1830 and 1833, Naval Air Squadrons disembarked fromHMSIllustrious, where their Vought Corsair Mk II aircraft were subsequently withdrawn at HMSNabberley. The members of 1833 Naval Air Squadron re-boarded the aircraft carrier on the same day, while those from 1830 Naval Air Squadron rejoined on 24 May, aligning with HMSIllustrious's departure for the United Kingdom.[4]
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, theGovernor-General of Australia, toured the facility on 1 June 1945.[4]
On 23 August 1945 the aircraft from the disbanded1834 and1835 squadrons were delivered fromHMS Victorious for disposal.[4]
HMSNabberley, MONAB II, was paid off on 31 March 1946. 724 Naval Air Squadron, the communications unit, left and flew to RNAS Schofields (HMSNabthorpe), the location of MONAB III. The airfield at Bankstown was returned to RAAF control.[4]
List of units associated with MONAB II, in support of a Receipt & Despatch Unit and a Fleet Requirements Unit:
List of Fleet Air Arm first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units either based at or disembarked to RNAS Bankstown (HMSNabberley) and MONAB II:
