The MONAB Story

A history of the mobile airfields of the Royal Navy



 

Re-evaluation of planned units after the Japanese surrender

After the Japanese surrender the assembly of all mobile units was put on hold while the planning was reassessed. The assembly of MONABs XI & XII were already under way at Middle Wallop, MONAB XI having begun its formation on the first of August. MONAB XII personnel had been arriving in advance of the units planned formation in September. Work on both of these units was suspended and remaining units were cancelled. MONAB X, the last MONAB to have been commissioned, was paid off on October 15th while still at RNAS Middle Wallop.

 

Cancelled mobile units

MONAB XI

To be HMS NABSFIELD ?*
Equipped with MS 20 & 21, MM10
The  unit began forming on August 1st 1945 and was to be commanded by CDR. K.W. BEARD; formation suspended after V-J day, and shelved indefinitely at the end of August.

MONAB XII

To be HMS NABSTEAD ?*
To be equipped with MS 22 & 23, MM11
Formation planned for September 1945. some personnel had arrived at Middle Wallop during August, but formation date shelved indefinitely at the end of August.

MONAB XII

To be HMS NABSMERE ?*
Formation planned for October 1945, a handful of personnel were present at Middle Wallop for this unit in August but formation cancelled.

MONAB XIV

No Ship's name issued
To have formed during November1945.

MONAB XV

No Ship's name issued
To have formed during December1945.

TAMY II

No Ship's name issued
Planned on paper but no dates for formation issued

 

Cancelled components

M.S.R. 11 & M.R. 3

Formation commenced in August. formation suspended after V-J day, and shelved indefinitely at the end of August.  M.R. 3 was raised locally at RNARY Archerfield after MONAB VII paid off in Australia.

M.S.R. 12 & M.R. 4

Formation planned for September. Formation of M.S.R. 12 suspended shelved indefinitely but M.R. 4 was formed for post-war development trials.

M.R. 5

Formation planned for October, suspended shelved indefinitely.

M.R. 6

Formation planned for November, suspended shelved indefinitely.

M.R. 7

Formation planned for December, suspended shelved indefinitely.

 

*Ships' names: The names NABSFIELD, NABSTEAD & NABSMERE were originally promulgated as being the names for MONABs VII, VIII, & IX respectively, (Special Military Branch Acquaint 2560, 16th December, 1944). For reasons which are not clear these units were renamed as NABREEKIE, NABCATCHER, & NABROCK. Since no other names appear to have been promulgated for the next units to form it is assumed that these names were still intended to be used by MONABs, and in the same order.

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