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Mobile Naval Ai Base Components

Each MONAB comprised of several key components common to all units (Command & Executive, Medical, Stores, Flying Control, Radio & Radar, Maintenance, Air Gunnery), and a range of interchangeable technical components (Maintenance Servicing, Mobile Maintenance, Maintenance, Storage & Reserve, Mobile Repair). Each technical component carried out a single function, day-to-day servicing, aircraft storage, repair of damaged aircraft etc. Should the MONABs tasking be changed additional components could be added to meet the new task, alternately, redundant components could be removed or re-deployed.

Component allocations

Individual repair and maintenance (air) elements were tasked with supporting specific aircraft types: Each MS unit serviced one type, MM units serviced two or more, usually reflecting those of the accompanying MS units. Individual MSR and MR units also catered for a number of different aircraft types.

Mobile Servicing

M.S.1

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II
Attached to: MONAB I.

M.S.2

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV
Attached to: MONAB I

M.S.3

Supported aircraft types: Firefly I
Attached to: MONAB III.

M.S.4

Supported aircraft types: Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: MONAB III

M.S.5

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV
Attached to: MONAB IV.

M.S.6

Supported aircraft types: Hellcat I & II
Attached to: MONAB IV

M.S.7

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II
Attached to: MONAB V

M.S.8

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV
Attached to: MONAB V

M.S.9

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II
Attached to: MONAB VI

M.S.10

Supported aircraft types: Vengeance TT.IV
Attached to: MONAB VI

M.S.11

Supported aircraft types: Firefly I
Attached to: MONAB VII

M.S.12

Supported aircraft types: Sea Otter I
Attached to: MONAB VII

M.S.13

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV
Attached to: MONAB VIII.

M.S.14

Supported aircraft types: Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: MONAB VIII

M.S.15

Supported aircraft types: Not knownI
Attached to: MONAB IX

M.S.16

Supported aircraft types: Not known
Attached to: MONAB IX

M.S.17

Supported aircraft types: Not known
Attached to: MONAB X

M.S.18

Supported aircraft types: Not known
Attached to: MONAB X

M.S.189 - 28

Supported aircraft types: Not known
intended for MONABs XI - XV but not formed.

Mobile Maintenance

M.M.1

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Hellcat I & II , Martinet TT. I
Attached to: MONAB I. Detached to R.N. Forward Aircraft Pool, Pityliu 7 June 1945, returned 17 September 1945.

M.M.2

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Hellcat I & II, Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: MONAB III

M.M.3

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Firefly I, Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: MONAB IV

M.M.4

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Martinet TT.I
Attached to: MONAB V

M.M.5

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Hellcat I & II, Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: MONAB VI

M.M.6

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Corsair II & IV, Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: MONAB VII

M.M.7

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Firefly I. Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: MONAB VIII

M.M.8

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Seafire III & L.III
Intended for: MONAB IX

M.M.9

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Seafire III & L.III
Attached to: MONAB X

M.M.10

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Seafire III & L.III?
Attached to: MONAB XI unit not formed

M.M.11-14

Planned for inclusion in MONABs XII - XV units scrapped before formation when the remaining MONABs were indefinitely shelved.

It was intended that the numbering of the M.M. units would follow that of the MONAB it was to be a part of, the numbering became out by one when MONAB II was altered from a Type 'A' MONAB to a hybrid Receipt & Despatch Unit, M.M. 2 being added to MONAB III, the next unit to assemble.

Mobile Repair

M.R.1

Supported aircraft types: Corsair II & IV, Firefly I, Hellcat I & II, Seafire II & L.III
Originally planned for support of Avenger, Barracuda, Vengeance & Sea Otter.
Attached to: MONAB V. later MONAB I. Arrived Nowra April 10th 1945.

M.R.2

Supported aircraft types: Avenger I & II, Expeditor, Martinet TT.I, Sea Otter I
Originally planned for support of Corsair & Hellcat
Attached to: MONAB V, but transferred to MONAB VI from November 5th 1945

M.R.3

Supported aircraft types: Unknown, probably Seafire (all marks)
Attached to: Originally intended for MONAB XI, but raised locally in Australia during November 1945 when MONAB VII was paid off and operated as part of TAMY I.

M.R.4

Supported aircraft types: Unknown
Attached to: Originally intended for MONAB XII, this unit was assembled in the UK even though MONAB XII was cancelled. Retained by the MNAO as part of the post war MONAB X for trials & development work and installed at RNAS Milltown (satellite airfield) when the MNAO relocated to RNAS Lossiemouth in 1946h.

M.R.5

Supported aircraft types: Firefly & Seafire
Attached to: Originally intended for MONAB II at RNAS Schofields but probably never formed.

The MONAB Story

A history of the mobile airfields of the Royal Navy

Mobile Naval Ai Base Components

Component allocations

Mobile Servicing

Mobile Maintenance

Mobile Repair

Component allocations Cont'd »