HMS Nabthorpe


HMS Nabthorpe was a Royal Navy Mobile Naval Operating Air Base at the Royal Australian Air Force base RAAF Station Schofields at Schofields, New South Wales. HMS Nabthorpe was also known as MONAB III and Royal Naval Air Station Schofields.

History

Assembled at RNAS Ludham on 18 October 1944, MONAB III was commissioned as an independent command bearing the ship's name HMS Nabthorpe on 4 December 1944. Stores, equipment & vehicles sailed aboard the SS Essex on 4 December 1944, and personnel sailed from Liverpool upon SS Athlone Castle 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 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 Schofields was officially transferred to the Royal Navy and commissioned as HMS Nabthorpe, RNAS Schofields, on 18 February 1945.
When No. 899 Squadron disembarked from on 23 April 1945 the unit became a 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.
No. 7 Carrier Air Group formed at RNAS Schofields on 30 June 1945, from ’s air squadrons, No.s 887 & 894, 820 and 1770 squadrons.
The Commander in Chief of the British Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, visited Schofields 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 on the same day.

Commanding Officer/s