HMS Nabaron | MONAB 4

HMS Nabaron | MONAB 4 | MSR6 (1945)

In his diary my dad, Norman Buckle, had some photos of his Fleet Air Arm colleagues which identifies his group as the support unit MSR6 (Maintenance, Storage and Reserve 6) of MONAB 4 (Mobile Naval Airbase) which was stationed on Ponam Island in the Pacific Ocean. The base was known as HMS Nabaron.

From the air Ponam Island looked rather like an aircraft carrier and the American SeaBees (CB's - Construction Battalions) had built an airfield on it using crushed coral for the runway. It was handed over to the Royal Navy with all services including the airstrip, aircraft repair shops and storage for aircraft parts, petrol and oil storage tanks, a control tower, jeeps and trucks, huts for accommodation, an officers' mess, dining halls, a hospital, water de-salination plant and kitchens (including an ice-cream maker). The U.S Navy also left behind a forty strong team of SeaBees personnel to maintain the island and its facilities.

Norman's unit M.S.R.6 was attached to H.M.S. Nabaron (MONAB 4) primarily for support of the Firefly I, Seafire III and Sea Otter aircraft of 1701 squadron.

My dad wrote in his diary:

Saturday 2^nd June 1945

"Yesterday we weighed anchor in the morning and a few hours sailing brought us to Ponam, a small island two miles long by six hundred yards wide. Highest point above sea level 6 ft. About 12.00 we came ashore in the cutter and surveyed our new home.

To look at it is a typical desert island complete with lagoon, coral and wind swept palm trees. Vegetation found growing naturally appears to be coconut palms, wild orange trees, bread fruit with a few tropical flowers and grasses. The seasons appear to be two – wet and dry. (Now we are at the end of the wet). Rainstorms are fairly common. The main island of Manus lies about a mile across the straits and is fairly large. Sea life so far seen consists of small fish, coral snakes, small octopus and hermit crabs."