H.M.S. Nabbington, was a Royal Navy, Mobile Naval Operating Air Base (MONAB), at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Nowra at Nowra, New South Wales, Australia. H.M.S. Nabbington was also known as MONAB I and Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Nowra.
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Assembled at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Ludham on 4 September 1944. Commissioned as independent command bearing the ships name H.M.S. Nabbington on 28 October 1944. Stores, equipment & vehicles sailed from Victoria dock, Birkenhead aboard the S.S. Suffolk, and personnel sailed from Gladstone dock, Liverpool upon S.S. Empress of Scotland on 20 November 1944 bound for Sydney, Australia.
After arriving in Sydney on 20 December 1944, the personnel set up at Warwick Farm racecourse (Camp Warwick), a part of HMS Golden Hind, the Royal Navy barracks in Sydney.
Upon arrival of the stores upon S.S. Suffolk at Sydney on 24 December 1944, No. 1 Transportation & Movements Office Work of the Royal Australian Air Force began unloading the stores and equipment for transport to Nowra.
RAAF Nowra was officially transferred to the RN on a loan basis and commissioned as H.M.S. Nabbington, Royal Naval Air Station Nowra on 2 January 1945. RAAF Nowra was required some improvements and expansion work which was undertaken during January.
All operational flying was transferred to Nowra's satellite airfield at Jervis Bay Airfield on 7 March 1945. This was necessary to permit emergency repairs to be carried out on the runways & taxiways at Nowra which were deteriorating due to wet weather and heavy use. Flying operations returned to Nowra on 28 April 1945.
No. 3 Carrier Air Group was formed on 18 May 1945 at Nowra as a reserve Air Group.
When the Japanese surrendered on 15 August 1945, Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) or Victory in the Pacific (VP Day), was celebrated at Nowra and the men and women of H.M.S. Nabbington marched through the streets of Nowra.
H.M.S. Nabbington, MONAB I, was paid off on 15 November 1945. RNAS Nowra re-commissioned as H.M.S. Nabswick (MONAB V) on 15 November 1945.