Maintenance, Storage & Repair

M.S.R.1

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Hellcat I & II
Attached to: Originally attached to MONAB V, transferred to MONAB I upon arrival in Australia; to Forward Aircraft Pool on Pityilu Island from June 7th 1945, returned to RNAS Nowra October 17th 1945.

M.S.R.2

Supported aircraft types: Seafire III & L.III, Firefly
Attached to: MONAB V, temporarily attached to MONAB I upon arrival in Australia and transferred to MONAB V when it occupied RNAS Jervis Bay.

M.S.R.3

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Hellcat I & II, Firefly I, Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: Formed in Australia from the storage element of MONAB II at RNAS Bankstown, together with MSRs 4, 7 & 8. Split into 'A' & 'B' units and embarked in HM Ships UNICORN & STRIKER to provide an aircraft pool for the forward area.

M.S.R.4

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Hellcat I & II
Attached to: Formed in Australia from the storage element of MONAB II at RNAS Bankstown, together with MSRs 3, 7 & 8. Embarked in HM Ships UNICORN & SPEAKER it was to be disembarked to USNAS Ponam to operate as part of MONAB IV. UNICORN disembarked the vehicles and stores on March 8th, the remainder of the unit, along with the advance party of MONAB IV, disembarked from SPEAKER on Match 15th.

M.S.R.5

Supported aircraft types: (Original types) - Avenger I & II , Corsair II & IV
Attached to: Original unit details are not known, but unit split into 'A' & 'B' sub-units & embarked in HM Ships ARBITER & CHASER to act as the Forward Aircraft Pool, relieving UNICORN & STRIKER. The element installed in ARBITER arrived on board around May 15th 1945, and was to remain onboard until late September when it was disembarked to MONAB II. Unit reported at MONAB I by November 1945, personnel departed for the UK December 6th 1945 on RMS AQUITANIA.

M.S.R.6

Supported aircraft types: Firefly I, Seafire III & L.III, Sea Otter I
Attached to: Formed in the UK at RNAE Risley; Disembarked from ARBITER on June 1st 1945 to Ponam Island to operate as part of MONAB IV.

M.S.R.7

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Seafire III & L.III, Hellcat I & II
Attached to: Formed in Australia from the storage element of MONAB II at RNAS Bankstown, together with MSRs 3, 4 & 8. Transferred to strength of TAMY 1 in early April 1945 after its arrival in Australia.

M.S.R.8

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Seafire III & L.III, Hellcat I & II
Attached to: Formed in Australia from the storage element of MONAB II at RNAS Bankstown, together with MSRs 3, 4 & 7. Transferred to strength of TAMY 1 in early April 1945 after its arrival in Australia.

M.S.R.9

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Seafire III & L.III, Firefly I
Attached to: Formed in the UK in June 1945 and sailed with MONAB VIII for Australia at the start od July. Arrived in Sydney after the war’s end but allocated to operate with MONAB VIII at RNAS Kai Tak. Embarked in REAPER for passage to Hong Kong, disembarking to Kai Tak in late October.

M.S.R.10

Supported aircraft types: Unknown
Attached to: Formed in the UK in July 1945, scheduled to sail with MONAB IX (which sailed a week late at the end of August after an evaluation of MONAB operations after V-J Day).

M.S.11

Supported aircraft types: Unknown
Attached toFormed in the UK in August 1945 and scheduled for deployment with MONAB X in September. Both units were to remain in the UK.

M.S.12

Supported aircraft types: Unknown
Attached to: Scheduled to form in September 1945 and sail in October with MONAB XI; both cancelled after V-J Day.

Maintenance Annex

M.A.1

Supported aircraft types: Not clear, possibly Vengeance TT.I
Attached to: MONAB IV

M.A.2

Supported aircraft types: Not clear, possibly Sea Otter
Attached to: MONAB VI

 

Mobile Air Torpedo Maintenance Unit

M.A.T.M.U.1

Attached to:  Not known - at RNAS Lossiemouth by 1946 for use of the MNAO for trials and development work.

M.A.T.M.U.3

Attached to: Arrived in Australia in March 1945 and was established in the bush 8 miles from Jervis Bay. Operated as part of MONAB I & later MONAB V at Nowra.& Jervis Bay but no torpedo training was done.

M.A.T.M.U.5

Attached to: Unknown

M.A.T.M.U.6

Attached to: Arrived in Australia in December 1944 and established at RAAF Nowra. Operated as part of MONAB I & later MONAB V at Nowra.

M.A.T.M.U.7

Attached to: Formed at RNAS Lee-on-Solent October 1944, arrived in Australia early in 1945. Established in the bush near Jervis Bay to operate independently, demonstrating it's capabilities and ability to function as a separate self sustaining unit. Arrived MONAB IV on Ponam Island  06 July - 07 October 1945, then to MONAB I & V at Nowra 30 October - 13 February 1946?

 

Miscellaneous components

 

Standard Preservation Unit

S.P.U.1

Mentioned in official reports; possibly supported all aircraft types. Such a unit would most probably be a part of Receipt & Despatch MONAB or TAMY I - the actual deployment if this unit is not known.

 

Receipt & Despatch Unit specialist components

Aircraft Erection unit

Function: Depreservation and assembly of reserve airframes as part of a Receipt and Despatch MONAB. One unit formed locally by MONAB II in Australia and one in the UK for MONAB VII. Also an integral part of Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Unit Mo.1.

Aircraft Equipping unit

Function: To install equipment into recently assembled reserve airframes as part of a Receipt and Despatch MONAB. One unit formed locally by MONAB II in Australia and one in the UK for MONAB VII. Also, an integral part of Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Unit Mo.1.

Aircraft Stripping unit

Function: To remove equipment and parts from airframes damaged beyond local repair as part of a Receipt and Despatch MONAB. One unit formed locally by MONAB II in Australia and one in the UK for MONAB VII. Also, an integral part of Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Unit Mo.1.

 

Mobile Malarial Hygiene Unit

M.M.H.U..5

attached to MONAB IV on RNAS Ponam, Admiralty Islands.

M.M.H.U..7

attached to MONAB VIII at RNAS Kai Tak, Hong Kong.