The MONAB Story

A history of the mobile airfields of the Royal Navy


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Mobile Naval Air Base No. VIII gallery

Images from the private collections of Royal Marine Driver W., Brooks, Petty Officer Radio Mechanic T. Rushton, Air Fitter (Airframes) G. Saunders. Writer E.C. McCarthy, Naval Airmen (General Duties) K & G Littler, Able Seaman T. Griffith.

Most of these images are sized to fit the screen, however where possible those containing groups of personnel will open large enough to see individuals. Many, but not all, of these images are available in larger, high-res versions and copies can be supplied upon receipt of a photo request.  If you have pictures or other memorabilia that you can contribute to this project please contact the Webmaster using the Offer of assistance form.

 The Royal Navy Research Archive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License See our terms of use for conditions regarding using these images in other works.

 

Typhoon damage 1946

October 1945: Setting up camp, construction work to erect permanent buildings begins.
JOctober 1945: The same building work after a typhoon hit Kai Tak causing widespread damage.

July 18th 1946: Typhoon aftermath at Kai Tak image 1

 
July 18th 1946: Typhoon aftermath at Kai Tak image 2
July 18th 1946: Typhoon aftermath at Kai Tak image 3
RAF Sunderland GR5 PP132 of 209 squadron overshot and ran aground after landing in the water off Kai Tak on April 21st 1946. This photo is taken in July 1946 and shows the aircraft stranded on the airfield after being lifted ashore by a severe typhoon which caused it to be further damaged beyond repair.
Royal Marine Driver Bill Brooks poses with Sunderland GR5 PP132 of 209 squadron after the July 1946 typhoon

Ship's company

The men of the airfield control section of HMS Nabcatcher, Christmas 1945.
More men of the airfield control section of HMS Nabcatcher, Christmas 1945.
The Naval Airmen (GD)s of HMS Nabcatcher
Brothers Ken and Gordon Littler plus friend, all Naval Airmen (GD)s pose by a Sea Otter of 1701 squadron at Kai Tak, April 1946.
Brothers Ken & Gordon Littler with two of their mess mates photographed inside their mess deck tent, the duck boards are evidence of the rainy season having started, when the site turned to mud.
Naval Airmen (GD)s Ken & Gordon Littler, Kai Tak, October 1945.
Some of the Naval Airmen (GD)s of HMS Nabcatcher outside D6 mess.
The occupants of D8 mess of HMS Nabcatcher, April 1946.
A group of Aircraft Fitters pose at o RNAS Kai Tak, summer 1946, Gordon Saunders is wearing the shirt.
Summer 1946: A group of Aircraft Fitters take a break from their work. Back row L – R. P. McGowan - R.A. (spike) Hughes - G. Searle. Middle Row L - R: J. Wills - C. Sales - M. Johnston. Front Row L – R. D. Nichol? - ? Hughes - G. Saunders - D. Shields.
Some of the ship’s writers pose at the entrance to their mess during a ‘make and mend’ [Writers Horgan and McCarthy are left & second left].
‘Scribes’ – some of the ship’s writers. L –R. McCarthy, Horgan, John, Broad, ?
Some of the ship’s writers pose in the door way of a commandeered Chinese house – note the ships name above the door. This building was utilised until a permanent ship’s office could be built on the airfield.
Off duty men boarding a lorry to Clearwater Bay for a few hours swimming.
Royal Marine Driver Bill Brooks with a dispatch riders motorcycle.
Royal Marin Drivers at Kai Tak, summer 1946.
Description
Off duty men boarding a lorry to Clearwater Bay for a few hours swimming.6
Christmas Day 1945 at RNAS Kai Tak. Image 1
Christmas Day 1945 at RNAS Kai Tak. Image 2
Christmas Day 1945 at RNAS Kai Tak. Image 3
Sports Day at RNAS Kai Tak, March 1946
December 1945: Ratings from HMS. Nabcatcher ceremonially pulling Captain Surtees and his new bride to the jetty where they board their barge to depart for their honeymoon.
December 1945: The officers of HMS Nabcatcher wave off Captain Surtees and his new bride as they depart for their honeymoon. 6

 

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Topic: HMS Nabcarcher Gallery
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Gary Turner
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Mar 2022
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Gary Turner (Poulton Le Fylde, UK) says...

My father Stanley Turner is on the two airfield control group photographs, on first he is second in from the left front row and on the second photograph he is in the middle on the left.

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