The MONAB Story

A history of the mobile airfields of the Royal Navy



Lest we forget them... those who did not come home

There are 26 recorded deaths of MONAB and squadron personnel on active service outside the UK

 

Sydney, New South Wales, War Cemetery (14 Graves) info

Rookwood cemetery, Sydney

Name: Thomas Bevan LLOYD

Service No: S/FX2692

Rate: Air Mechanic (L) 1st Class

Unit: H.M.S. NABTHORPE

Died: 29 July 1945

Grave Reference: 2Z. A. 13

Recorded as 'Died On War Service', cause unknown

 

  Thomas Bevan LLOYD headstone
Name: Finlay Bryson GEE

Service No: FX.611358

Rate: Petty Officer Radio Mechanic

Unit: H.M.S. NABTHORPE

Died:18 August 1945

Grave Reference: 2Z. B. 10

Recorded as 'Died of Illness’

 

  Finlay Bryson GEE headstone

Finlay Bryson GEE burial

Name: Reginald Edward BALL

Service No: L/FX.590949

Rate: Air Mechanic (E) 2nd Class

Unit: H.M.S. NABBERLEY

Died: 09 September 1945 Age: 20

Grave Reference: 2Z. C. 16

Recorded as 'Died on War Service' cause unknown

 

  Finlay Bryson GEE headstone
Name: William H. SHEPHEAD

Service No: C/211107

Rate: Petty Officer

Unit: H.M.S. NABSFORD

Died: 01 November 1945 Age: 60

Grave Reference: 2Z. C. 12

Recorded as 'Died of Illness’

 

  Douglas Basil CATHERALL headstone
Name: Douglas Basil CATHERALL

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant RNVR

Unit: H.M.S. NABSTOCK

Died: 07 December 1945 Age: 28

Grave Reference: 3A. A. 8

Recorded as 'killed in road accident '

 

  William H. SHEPHEAD headstone
Name: James McAULAY

Service No: L/FX.100518

Rate: Air Fitter (A)

Unit: H.M.S. NABTHORPE

Died: 09 December 1945

Grave Reference: 3A. A. 4

Recorded as 'Died on War Service' cause unknown

 

  Elijah George PICKERING headstone
Name: Elijah George PICKERING

Service No: L/FX.102136

Rate: Leading Air Fitter

Unit: H.M.S. NABTHORPE

Died: 27 November 1945 Age: 22

Grave Reference: 3A. A. 3

Recorded as 'Died on War Service' cause unknown

 

  Thomas William MONTAGUE headstone
Name: Thomas William MONTAGUE

Service No: FX.89773

Rate: Air Fitter

Unit: H.M.S. NABSWICK

Died: 16 August 1945 Age: 28

Grave Reference: 2Z. A. 7

Recorded as 'Died on War Service' cause unknown

 

  Arthur MOORE headstone
Name: Arthur MOORE

Rank: Lieutenant, Royal Marines

Unit: H.M.S. NABBERLEY

Died: 18 February 1945 Age: 37

Grave Reference: V. C. 13

Recorded as ‘killed in road accident’

 

 

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Name: Walter LYNAM

Service No: FX.601270

Rate: Air Mechanic 2nd Class

Unit: H.M.S. NABARON

Died: 03 March 1945 Age: 19

Grave Reference: V. D. 8

Recorded as 'Died on War Service' cause unknown

 

 

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Name: John Harold ROGERS

Service No: FX.109436

Rate: Air Fitter

Unit: H.M.S. NABBERLEY

Died: 16 March 1945

Grave Reference: V. D. 16

Recorded as 'Died on War Service' cause unknown

 

 

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Name: Kenneth Ernest VOGAN

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 1843 squadron H.M.S. NABTHORPE

Died:  30 May 1945 Age: 24

Grave Reference: 2W. C. 12.

Killed in air crash 30.5.45; pilot of an unidentified Corsair of 1843 Squadron form Royal Naval Air Station Schofields; dived into -hillside vertically at RAAF Menangle, NSW.

 

   
Name: Leslie John NORTON

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 801 squadron H.M.S. NABSTOCK

Died:  29 November 1945 Age: 21

Grave Reference: D. D. 15

Killed in air crash 29.11.45; pilot of an unidentified Seafire Mk,XV of 801 Squadron form Royal Naval Air Station Schofields; aircraft disintegrated in a dive.

 

   
Name: John Robert OXLEY

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 1790 squadron H.M.S. NABSTOCK

Died:  04 January 1946 Age: 23

Grave Reference: 3A. A. 14.

Killed in air accident 04.01.46; the Observer in a Firefly MB501 of 1790 Squadron form Royal Naval Air Station Schofields; fell out of the aircraft over Quakers Hill Park on approach to Schofields while the pilot, Sub-Lt R Roberts RNVR was conducting Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings.

 

 

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Grave marker and burial photos kindly supplied by Stan Spencer

   

 

Nowra War Cemetery (8 Graves) info

Nowra_War_Cemetery

Name: William BROWN

Service No: P/JX631286

Rate: Able Seaman

Unit: H.M.S. NABBINGTON

Died: 13 January 1945 Age: 20

Grave Reference: Plot B. Row B. Grave 11

Recorded as 'Died on War Service' cause unknown.

 

   William BROWN headstone
Name: Thomas Edward DUNN

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: H.M.S. NABBINGTON

Died: 30 August 1945 Age: 19

Grave Reference: Plot B. Row B. Grave 15

Killed in air crash 30.8.45; pilot of Corsair KD891 of 1845 Sqn Nowra; failed to pull out of steep angle dive, went into sea flattening out after dropping live bomb on exercise, Jervis Bay range.

 

  Thomas Edward DUNN headstone
Name: Stuart John WALKER

Service No: FX96725

Rate: Petty Officer Pilot

Unit: 1771 Naval Air Squadron, H.M.S. IMPLACABLE/H.M.S. NABSWICK

Died: 12 May 1945 Age: 20

Grave Reference: Plot B. Row B. Grave 12

Killed in air crash 12.5.45; pilot of Firefly MB397 of 1771 Squadron which started to land on HMS IMPLACABLE with starboard tyre on fire, waved off, retracted u/c, but a/c caught fire at 300ft and spun into Jervis Bay from 50ft on turning back. Observer Sub-Lt. John M Jones also killed.

 

  Stuart John WALKER headstone
Name: John Miles JONES

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 1771 Naval Air Squadron, H.M.S. IMPLACABLE/H.M.S. NABSWICK

Died: 12 May 1945 Age: 20

Grave Reference: Plot B. Row B. Grave 13

Killed in air crash 12.5.45; observer in Firefly MB397 of 1771 Squadron which started to land on HMS IMPLACABLE with starboard tyre on fire, waved off, retracted u/c, but a/c caught fire at 300ft and spun into Jervis Bay from 50ft on turning back. Pilot, Petty Officer Stuart J Walker also killed.

 

  John Miles JONES headstone

John Miles JONES burial

Name: Albert Charles DOOLEY

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 837 Squadron, H.M.S. GLORY/H.M.S. NABBINGTON

Died: 13 January 1946

Grave Reference: Plot C. Row A. Grave 2

Recorded as Died, drowned at the Nowra baths in the Shoalhaven River.

 

  Albert Charles DOOLEY headstone

Albert Charles DOOLEY burial

Name: Ronald George KENNETT

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 1845 squadron, H.M.S. NABBINGTON

Died: 29 July 1945 Age: 24

Grave Reference: Plot B. Row B. Grave 14

killed in air crash 29.7.45; pilot of Corsair KD275 of 1845 Squadron, crashed in field on upward roll from 100ft, burst into flames, 7m S of Goulbarn, New South Wales.

 

  Ronald George KENNETT headstone
Name: Norman MURPHY

Service No: PO/X 114752

Rate: Marine Unit: H.M.S. NABBINGTON

Died: 11 October 1945 Age: 21

Grave Reference: Plot B. Row B. Grave 16

Motorcycle despatch rider, killed in motor accident on Geard's Hill, West Wollongong NSW; pillion passenger, Marine A. Spence was taken to hospital suffering from shock and an injured shoulder.

 

  Norman MURPHY headstone
Name: Leslie SHARPLES

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 706 Squadron H.M.S. NABBINGTON

Died: 03 December 1945 

Grave Reference: Plot C. Row A. Grave 1

killed in air crash 03.12.1945 returning from low level cross-country exercise in formation with-2 Seafires, he was missed after they turned. His aircraft, Corsair KD864 crashed in thick bush 6 miles SE of Nowra and burnt out
 

   William BROWN headstone
Grave marker photos and additional information kindly supplied by Karen Stande & Cris George    

 

Brisbane (Lutwyche) Cemetery (1 Grave) info

Name: Frank EASTHOPE

Service No: L/FX98561

Rate: Air Fitter

Unit: H.M.S. NABSFORD

Died: 25 December 1945 Age: 23

Grave Reference: Sec. 73. Grave 61

Recorded as killed in road accident

 

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Buried at sea and site unknown (5 records)

Name: Peter Edward RECORD

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 801 squadron operating from H.M.S. NABARON

Died: 20 June 1945 Age: 20

Grave Reference: Buried at sea off Ponam Island, Papua New Guinea, commemorated at LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL  Bay 6, Panel 4.

Killed in air crash 20.6.45; pilot of Seafire PP957 of 801 Squadron, HMS IMPLACABLE. While conducting Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings at Ponam, MONAB IV, hit W/T aerial, stalled, side slipped hit runway and burst into flames.
 

   
Name: Archibald Mowbray BRODIE

Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 721 squadron operating from H.M.S. NABCATCHER

Died: 01 March 1946 Age: 23

Grave Reference: Lost at sea, commemorated at LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL  Bay 6, Panel 6.

Killed in air crash 01.03.46; Vultee Vengeance HB363 lost control in cloud, crashed in Sunk Bay, Hong Kong killing broth crew.
 

   
Name: Ernest Jack DESBOROUGH

Service No: L/FX523614

Rank: Petty Officer Airman

Unit: 721 squadron operating from H.M.S. NABCATCHER

Died: 01 March 1946 Age: 20

Grave Reference: Lost at sea, commemorated at LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL  Bay 6, Panel 6.

Killed in air crash 01.03.46; Vultee Vengeance HB363 lost control in cloud, crashed in Sunk Bay, Hong Kong killing broth crew.
 

   
Name: Christopher Richard PEMBERTON-BARTLETT

Rank: Lieutenant (A) RNVR

Unit: 723 squadron H.M.S. NABBINGTON

Died: 27 March 1945 Age: 25

Grave Reference: Lost at sea, commemorated at LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL  Bay 6, Panel 3.

Killed in air crash 27.03.45; During a test flight in an unidentified Miles Martinet from RNAS Bankstown to RNAS Jervis Bay, soon after take-off to return aircraft dived into the sea in Jervis Bay killing the crew of two..
 

   
Name: Donald William RUTTY

Service No: L/FX109553

Rank: Naval Air Mechanic 1st Class

Unit: 723 squadron H.M.S. NABBINGTON

Died: 27 March 1945 Age: 20

Grave Reference: Lost at sea, commemorated at LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL  Bay 6, Panel 2.

Killed in air crash 27.03.45; During a test flight in an unidentified Miles Martinet from RNAS Bankstown to RNAS Jervis Bay, soon after take-off to return aircraft dived into the sea in Jervis Bay killing the crew of two.. 

   
     

Content last updated 07 July 2021
 

   

Details of the men known to buried in Australian cemeteries come from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database.

   

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