Royal Navy's Maryborough Base

JENNY ELLIOT

HMS NABSTOCK is one of Maryborough’s littleknown contributions to the Second World War efforts.

Some 550 members of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm were stationed at Maryborough which was the only permanent base on which the men of NABSTOCK operated as a complete unit.

Following the victory in Europe in May 1945, the Royal Navy formed the British Pacific Fleet of Mobile Naval Air bases (MONAB) for training crew and the assembly of aircraft.

Commissioned in England, the HMS NABSTOCK arrived by sea to Sydney and proceeded to RAAF Station Maryborough as MONAB VI on the 1 June 1945.

Prior to July 1945, all troop ships and transports bound for Sydney Australia were routed through the Panama Canal.

From July 1945, MONABs were despatched by the quicker Suez Canal route to Sydney. A fast troop ship could make the voyage in around 28 days.

By the time the personnel of MONABS 1-6 arrived back in the UK, they had completed a circuit of the globe.

The advance party of HMS NABSTOCK arrived at RAAF Maryborough on 24 May 1945.

A second party arrived on 28 May 1945.

One of the main functions of the MONAB VI was to hold a stock of reserve aircraft, mainly Corsair and Avengers, for squadron replacement. Personnel consisted of air traffic control, communications, stewards, seamen and stokers for fire-fighting and rescue boats on the river.

The first R.N. aircraft, a Corsair, arrived at Maryborough along with six vehicles of the units MT section on 29 May 1945.

There were two ASR 45’ launches on the Mary River, used to cover local waters around Hervey Bay, and were powered by twin diesels capable of 32kts.

When the base was closed, they were put up for sale at £600, less engines.

The crews were a coxswain, a seaman hand and a stoker. They were used for stand-by on bombing runs when the wreck of S.S. Maheno on Fraser Island was used for practice.

The first squadron to arrive at Maryborough on 15 June 1945 was ‘A’ flight of 1701 A.S.R. squadron operating Sea Otters for air sea rescue and antisubmarine duties which disembarked from HMS Begum.

This was to be the start of a long relationship between 1701 and Maryborough.

The single-engine Sea Otter was an amphibian capable of 100kts, with twin Vickers gas-operated machine guns, operated by Telegraphist/Air Gunners (TAG); roughly equivalent to wireless operator-air gunner in the RAAF.

On 1 November 1945, 1701 ‘A’ Flight left Maryborough for the final time, the squadron moving to TAMY 1 at Archerfield in preparation for redeployment to Hong Kong.

Altogether, nine Royal Navy Air Squadrons of 706, 849, 899, 1701, 1770, 1834, 1836, 1843 and 1845 were associated with the RAAF Station.

Flying took place from 19 June 1945 to 24 October 1945 in aircraft including Avengers, Barracudas, Corsairs, Fireflies, Hell Cats, Seafires and Sea Otters.

While the unit was in Maryborough, Victory in the Pacific was declared.

The full strength of 550 men of all ranks took part in the procession.

Maryborough was a sharp contrast with Britain at war, experiencing food rationing, air raids and shortages of every commodity.

These men found Maryborough a wonderful place, with excellent food in the cafes and some outstanding entertainment at local dances.

One sailor played in a local band.

Every week the Anglican Church put on a tea for servicemen from the base, in the Memorial Hall in Adelaide Street.

Places to go dancing were the Toch-H (now Girl Guides Hall), the Parish Hall (now Woolworths) and the Royal Hotel.

MONAB 6 paid off as HMS NABSTOCK at Maryborough on 14 November 1945, the unit transferring it’s commission to RNAS Schofield.

Over 600 people gathered to bid farewell to members of the Royal Navy as they marched in a parade from the railway station to the Town Hall where RAAF personnel formed a guard of honour on the steps.

At the conclusion of the citizens farewell, the Royal Navy men boarded the train bound for Brisbane with hundreds crowding the platform and cheering ‘good luck’ and ‘bon voyage’.

A small party remained at Maryborough to complete the clearing up operations and to hand the facilities back to the RAAF, the last Royal Navy personnel left by train in early December 1945.