R.N. Camp Meeandah

H.M.S. NABREEKIE

 

Latitude 27° 25′ 30″S  Longitude  153° 6′ 5″E

   

ACQUISITION

On loan from U.S. Navy

OPENED

August 1945

COMMISSIONED

August 8th 1945

PAID OFF

November 5th 1945

 

 

COMMANDING OFFICER

Captain. F.P. Frai R.N.V.R
   

FUNCTION

Accommodation site for MONAB VIII
 

ADDRESS

R.N. Camp Meeandah
Brisbane,
Queensland.
Australia
 

LOCALITY

Located immediately south of Eagles Farm airfield. 16 miles north of Archerfield airport.
 

LANDMARKS

Eagles Farm airfield.
 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Good road and rail links into Brisbane
   
   

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters

 

Capacity:

Officers:

Unknown.

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

Unknown.

W.R.N.S. Officers:

None.

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

None.

 

ARMOURIES

Not known
 

MEDICAL

Not known

 

   
 

 

Camp Meeandah was a US Navy Seabee depot until shortly before the RN arrived in Brisbane, and it was transferred to the Admiralty on loan . A ‘tented village’ which was transferred with the base.

 


RN use of the Camp

The site was used to accommodate the non-technical elements of Mobile Naval Air Base No. VII (MONAB VII) which arrived in Australia in late July 1945 with no operational base available to house it.  The unit was to be operated alongside Tram portable Aircraft Maintenance Yard No 1 (TAMY I) sat Archerfield Airport and the administration components were located at R.N. Camp Rocklea, 1½ miles north of the airfield at Archerfield with the administration offices  for TAMY I. MONAB VII commissioned at Camp Rocklea & Camp Meeandah on August 8th 1945.
 

The technical ratings were employed at the Kerry Road site at Archerfield, 16 miles south of Camp Meeandah and 300 men were ferried by buses to their place of work; mid-day meals were  served at another site near the airfield. On completion of the day's work they were Bussed back to their ‘tented village’.



Returned to USN Control

Although MONAB VII was paid off on November 5th 1945 the personnel of MONAB VII who were not drafted back to the UK or other units (this appears to be the majority of the non-commissioned personnel) were transferred to the books of HMS NABSFORD, TAMY I. being formed into Mobile Repair Unit No.3 and work continued as usual.

Based on this it is unclear when Camp Meeandah was returned to US custody but February 1946 is most likely. The ship's company of TAMY I was to be reduced by two thirds during the month as the unit began running down to closure and the accommodation at Camp Meeandah was no longer needed.

 


 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

 

 

 

Unofficial design

 

 

 

R.N. Camp Meeandah: September 14th 1945 members of the camp maintenance staff with a water bowser.
 

R.N. Camp Meeandah August 1945, Stores Assistant Alan Starling wearing a discarded American helmet outside his tent.

 

R.N. Camp Meeandah August 1945, Store Assistants Tony Chappell, Ted Walshaw and Alan Starling outside their “canvas villa” .

 

 

 


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