When I was researching the background to I Think I Prefer the Tinned Variety: The Diary of a Petty Officer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II I tried to find out about the development of the island of Ponam, near Manus, in the Admiralty Islands (part of present day Papua New Guinea) as the naval air base to which my dad was posted in 1945.
I was delighted to find out more last week in Hansard (the record of Parliamentary debates). In The House of Lords on July 11th 1962 in a debate to do with Naval Estimates Lord Ashbourne reminisced about the base at Manus, in the Admiralty Islands of which he had had first-hand knowledge during the war.
"Within about three months of capturing theAdmiralty Islands from the Japanese the Americans had turned this almost desert island into a great fleet base, with alongside berths for unloading cargo, with floating docks, with a 10,000-feet airstrip, completed, they say, within fourteen days of the initial landings on the island. They built roads, storage accommodation, magazines, workshops, a hospital, clubs, canteens, and all those services which go to make up a fleet base. This was developed at top speed out of what amounted to a good natural harbour surrounded by nothing more than a few coral islands covered with jungle."
Lord Ashbourne went on to recall that the purpose of the mobile fleet bases [MONABs] was laid down by the Admiralty at that time as being: the rapid provision of the facilities necessary for the sustained operation of the Fleet in an area far removed from established bases.
However Lord Ashbourne spelled out that the MONABS did not include one vital thing: they did not include men or materials for constructional purposes. So the organisation couldn't carry out the all-important business of building airstrips, roads, stores, accommodation and so on, and had to rely on works that already existed—a very severe limitation indeed. What was lacking said Lord Ashbourne was that splendid body of men who worked for the American Fleet, the Construction Battalions, or "Sea Bees" as they were called.
He went on: "These highly trained men were a vital part of the American organisation. They were what we might call "combat civil engineers," though their own definition of themselves was "Soldiers in sailors' uniform, with Marine training, doing civilian work". They were formed at the beginning of 1942, and by the end of the war they were over a quarter of a million strong and represented some 60 different trades. Their jobs ranged from the building of fleet bases in the Tropics to the setting up of power stations in the Antarctic. Fleet Admiral King said of them: The accomplishments of the Sea Bees have been one of the outstanding features of the war. Furthermore, the Sea Bees have participated in practically every amphibious operation, landing with the first wave of assault troops, to bring equipment ashore and set up temporary bases of operation. As recently as 1957, Fleet Admiral Nimitz said: The original idea of having highly skilled construction workers in uniform has developed into one of the many valuable components without which we could not maintain our Navy as we know it to-day. In the main, the Sea Bees were armed, and on landing they at once set about clearing exits from the beaches, surveying, and so on; and as the troops moved forward they followed close behind, levelling ground, building airstrips, setting up temporary buildings, and all that kind of work."
In the book I made some reference to the work of the SeaBees but found this additional information to be very useful. This photograph of the outdoor cinema constructed by the SeaBees is part of my dad's collection and I guess that he along with the other British servicemen made use of it when they could.
I was delighted to find out more last week in Hansard (the record of Parliamentary debates). In The House of Lords on July 11th 1962 in a debate to do with Naval Estimates Lord Ashbourne reminisced about the base at Manus, in the Admiralty Islands of which he had had first-hand knowledge during the war.
"Within about three months of capturing the
Lord Ashbourne went on to recall that the purpose of the mobile fleet bases [MONABs] was laid down by the Admiralty at that time as being: the rapid provision of the facilities necessary for the sustained operation of the Fleet in an area far removed from established bases.
However Lord Ashbourne spelled out that the MONABS did not include one vital thing: they did not include men or materials for constructional purposes. So the organisation couldn't carry out the all-important business of building airstrips, roads, stores, accommodation and so on, and had to rely on works that already existed—a very severe limitation indeed. What was lacking said Lord Ashbourne was that splendid body of men who worked for the American Fleet, the Construction Battalions, or "Sea Bees" as they were called.
He went on: "These highly trained men were a vital part of the American organisation. They were what we might call "combat civil engineers," though their own definition of themselves was "Soldiers in sailors' uniform, with Marine training, doing civilian work". They were formed at the beginning of 1942, and by the end of the war they were over a quarter of a million strong and represented some 60 different trades. Their jobs ranged from the building of fleet bases in the Tropics to the setting up of power stations in the Antarctic. Fleet Admiral King said of them: The accomplishments of the Sea Bees have been one of the outstanding features of the war. Furthermore, the Sea Bees have participated in practically every amphibious operation, landing with the first wave of assault troops, to bring equipment ashore and set up temporary bases of operation. As recently as 1957, Fleet Admiral Nimitz said: The original idea of having highly skilled construction workers in uniform has developed into one of the many valuable components without which we could not maintain our Navy as we know it to-day. In the main, the Sea Bees were armed, and on landing they at once set about clearing exits from the beaches, surveying, and so on; and as the troops moved forward they followed close behind, levelling ground, building airstrips, setting up temporary buildings, and all that kind of work."
In the book I made some reference to the work of the SeaBees but found this additional information to be very useful. This photograph of the outdoor cinema constructed by the SeaBees is part of my dad's collection and I guess that he along with the other British servicemen made use of it when they could.
 |
| The outdoor cinema built by The SeaBees on Ponam Island. |
Comments
Post a Comment
If you have something to add to the story please feel free to write your comment here.