NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008 45
● A damaged Fleet Air Arm Corsair of 1834 NAS from HMS Victorious is repaired aboard maintenance carrier HMS Pioneer
Picture: Fleet Air Arm Museum
Triumph
Pocket-sized
battleships
of the ill
JUST as the day destroys the
night and night divides the
days, so each new year British
NELSON fascinates so many of
Warships and Auxiliaries arrives
us that he is an irresistible subject
in the post bag from the good
for scores of biographers, ranging
folks at Maritime Books.
from the inspired to the crackpot
‘And Auxiliaries’ is pertinent
and the revisionist. (Some would
for such has the Fleet shrunk, that
even have it that his death was, in
half the vessels featured in this
effect, suicide.)
volume are either RFA support
It is amazing that there is
vessels (accounting for ten pages)
anything new to say – but in
or tugs and other ancillary craft
Nelson: A Medical Casebook,
(20 pages).
(Spellmount, £20 ISBN 1-86227-
Despite a seemingly ever-
321-9) Ann-Mary Hills has
decreasing Fleet, Steve Bush’s
written the fi rst major medical book (£8.99 ISBN 978-1-
biography of Nelson, analysing 904459-31-6) remains the
primary sources, many for the standard in-your-pocket reference
fi rst time, with a clinician’s work on the RN.
eye and the benefi t of modern It cannot, of course, compete
medical knowledge. with Jane’s Fighting Ships in scale
Beatty’s famous account of or scope. But as a cheap, at-a-
Nelson’s death, for instance, has glance handbook on all things RN
been accepted for 200 years as the and FAA, it remains unbeatable.
defi nitive account, writes Sarah And it’s always worth buying
Fletcher.
The thin dark blue line
for the sometimes acerbic
Dr Hills makes a persuasive and never wide-of-the-mark
argument that Beatty’s was commentary on the ‘state of the
written with an eye to publication union’.
and, in showing the nation’s The 2008 edition is no
darling gently slipping away, exception. The author, a
a romanticised version. The former senior rating and Cold
reality, given what we know of
IT IS often said that
The fi rst MONABs used former provided from Imperial sources War warrior, welcomes the
his injuries, was more awful and
amateurs study military
The Grove
RAAF airfi elds (the effort seems in Australia. When one combines arrival of HMS Astute and
more traumatic. to have been admirably ‘joint’). this with the nationality of most of Daring, the renaissance of
She is also good on psychology.
and naval equipment
Review
As Cdr Hobbs makes clear, the BPF’s aircraft, where many of
Britain’s amphibious force, the
Nelson’s well-documented and operations while “the production of MONABs at
the aircrew had been trained (all
commitment to build two new
depressions, characterised by
professionals study
monthly intervals, which were
provided free of charge) and from
carriers.
lack of sleep and weight loss,
logistics.
capable of providing support for
where most of the re-supply escort
But he laments the paucity
were a reaction to events, not a
Despite their key importance in
BPF aircraft within days of their
of destroyers and frigates – “the
symptom of manic depression, as
East, notably off Korea whose
carriers came, one is left refl ecting
arrival at an unfamiliar airfi eld,
traditional workhorses of the
allowing forces to operate at all,
others have claimed, and never
coast the doughty repair carrier
on quite how ‘British’ this whole
12,000 miles from the UK, was
Fleet” which have been “rapidly
naval logistics have been neglected
compromised his sense of duty
actually bombarded with her 4in
effort was.
one of the great achievements of
– and rashly – withdrawn from
by historians, writes Prof Eric Grove
or his remarkable intellectual
guns!
The story has long needed
the Royal Navy in World War 2.”
service” – “penny pinching” and,
of the University of Salford.
abilities.
She was reduced to reserve
telling and David Hobbs is to be
The MONAB that operated as a
above all, the tempo of operations
Never were logistics more
Frequently Nelson’s depressive
status at the end of 1953. Plans for
congratulated for doing it so well.
forward base was HMS Nabaron,
which is placing an ever greater
important than over the broad
periods were brought about
modernisation came to nothing
established on an American-
Maritime Books of Liskeard has
strain on man and machine.
reaches of the Pacifi c in 1945,
by physical sickness and
and Unicorn was sold for scrap in
built airfi eld, at Ponam in the
done a good job in producing
“You can stretch an elastic
when the British Pacifi c Fleet
injuries. One of the author’s
1959. Not the least of the positive
Admiralties in early April 1945.
an attractive and well-illustrated
band for as long as you like,
(BPF) was added to the mighty
demonstrations (unforgettable
aspects of the book is the story of
Even here, however, it was not
volume, whose only shortcoming
but you won’t know it is over-
US Fleet to make a vital political
according to Colin White, who
this remarkable ship.
quite what was intended. Much
is a lack of maps, which would stretched until such time as it
contribution to the fi nal defeat of
wrote the foreword) involves a
Two of the new light fl eet
equipment brought out from the
have helped explain things even snaps. Once that happens, there is
Japan.
human skull and a quivering
carriers were completed along the
UK was redundant, given what
more clearly. no way back,” he warns.
This would have been an
blancmange, to show the effects
same general lines as Unicorn. The
enormous undertaking even if a
on Nelson’s brain of the blow he
fi rst of these was HMS Pioneer
was provided by the Americans.
traditional fl eet of surface warships
received at the Battle of the Nile.
(formerly HMS Mars) which lived
Indeed, as the author notes, “other
had been all that was required.
Her analysis of the injury
up to its new name playing an
equipment provided generously by
In this case however, the vital
is that it was far more serious
active role in the BPF’s air train.
the USN had no equivalent in the
assets were aircraft carriers and
than was acknowledged at the
Pioneer was, indeed, the only
British outfi t of stores but without
their air groups, a capability that
time, and resulted in what we
light fl eet carrier hull to play a
it the air station could not have
required a logistical back-up that
understand now as classic post-
fully active role in WW2.
functioned.”
was unparalleled in British naval
concussion syndrome.
Her sister Perseus, like her
The Americans also provided
history.
Recognised symptoms include
operational sisters, arrived
the location for Forward Aircraft
Cdr David Hobbs, formerly
too late for the war, but in
Pool 1 at Pityilu, which made
unkindness and irritability, both
curator of the Fleet Air Arm
1950-52 carved a small but
use of components of
of which Nelson showed, most
Museum, is a respected authority
key place in naval history
MONABS 1 and
uncharacteristically, for several
on the history of Britain’s naval
by being used for the
2 not required
months afterwards, and which
aviation and we must be grateful
trials that proved the
at Nowra or
HP BOOKFINDERS: Established
may well have accounted for
that he has turned his attention to
steam catapult to the
Bankstown.
professional service locating out
much of his strange behaviour in
this important subject in Moving
Royal and United
Ad hoc it
of print titles on all
Naples.
Bases: Royal Navy Maintenance
States Navies.
may have been,
subjects. No obligation or SAE
We tend to think of Nelson
Carriers and MONABS (Maritime
She outlived
but the BPF’s air required. Contact: Mosslaird,
as a creaking gate, worn out by
Books, £20 ISBN 978-1-904459-
Pioneer and,
logistics tail operated Brig O’ Turk, Callander, FK17 8HT
successive tropical diseases and
30-9).
after a period
effectively enough,
Telephone/Fax: (01877) 376377
injuries, and kept alive by force of
He fi rst gives an overview of the
in reserve,
allowing the Fleet
martin@hp-bookfinders.co.uk
will-power and his famous sense
creation of the BPF’s air logistics was about to be
to make signifi cant
of duty.
organisation, including the ‘air converted to a submarine
contributions, both to the
www.hp-bookfinders.co.uk
So it comes as a surprise to
train’ or Fleet Air Maintenance depot ship when she fell
Okinawa campaign and
read Dr Beatty’s conclusions from
Group (FAMG) of maintenance victim to the Sandys Review in
the fi nal operations against
Harrier Carriers
the post-mortem – “… all the vital
and repair ships. 1958.
Japan.
parts were so perfectly healthy in
He then tells the story of these Only one of the converted
If the war had gone on to
Vol 1
their appearance, and so small,
vessels, notably the fi rst aircraft mercantile aircraft repair ships,
culminate in an assault on the HMS INVINCIBLE
that they resembled more those
maintenance carrier, HMS Deer Sound, appeared before the
Japanese home islands, there were
By Neil McCart
of a youth, than a man who had
Unicorn. This ship had its origins war’s end and she was used to
no less than fi fteen MONABs and
The well illustrated story of the first of
attained his forty-seventh year …
in pre-war plans to operate the support Pioneer.
an extra TAMY planned.
the Royal Navy’s new generation of aircraft
his Lordship might have lived to a
limited-capacity Illustrious-class The book then turns to the
As it was, only MONABs 10 carriers from the Falklands War to the early
great age.”
carriers as a group with the main escort carriers used in the BPF
and 11 made it east, the former years of the 21st Century.
As Dr Hills points out, Nelson
fl eet. mainly as ferry and replenishment
providing facilities at liberated
Hardback Price £19.95+ p&p. ISBN 1 901225 08 9
came from excellent genetic stock
One of the main lessons of the ships and then to the Mobile
Hong Kong and the latter at
Also Still Available in Hardback:
and longevity was a family trait.
book is how fragile peacetime Naval Air Bases (MONABs)
Singapore.
Nearly every hurt and illness was planning is when compared with
and the Transportable Aircraft
The effort was huge and carried
FEARLESS & INTREPID 1965~2002 £24.00 + P&P
acquired in the course of duty, actual operational dynamics.
Maintenance Yard (TAMY) that
out with typical fl exibility and ‘can COLOSSUS-CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS 1944-1972 £24.00 + P&P
and he cared little for his own Unicorn served as an
were rapidly created and sent to
do’ spirit, but the reader cannot HMS HERMES 1923 & 1959 £24.00 + P&P
health, except when it prevented operational carrier, fi rst with the
the Pacifi c.
but refl ect on how tautly British
THREE ARK ROYALS 1938~1999 £23.00 + P&P
him from doing his job. Home Fleet and then with Force These were set up in Australia naval power was being stretched in
As he wrote to a friend post- V providing fi ghter cover for the and at Ponam near Manus in the the fi nal months of WW2.
TIGER, LION & BLAKE 1942~1986 £21.50 + P&P
Tenerife: “I regret not the loss of Salerno landings. Admiralty Islands, together with a The RN had nothing like the
HMS VANGUARD 1944~1960 BRITAIN’S LAST BATTLESHIP £19.95 + P&P
my arm in the cause it fell from She was then completed to fulfi l ‘Forward Aircraft Pool’ at Pityilu, logistics tail of the Americans, an
ILLUSTRIOUS & IMPLACABLE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS £23.00 + P&P
me.” her intended role, fi rst with the 20 miles from Ponam. aspect of USN capability that is HMS GLORY 1944-1961 £19.95 + P&P
This is a fascinating book, full Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean The shore system did not often neglected. Please add £2.75 p&p for the UK & EU or £4.50 for worldwide surface mail. Payment
of insights, and one which I felt and then with the BPF. work as originally intended, the The American Construction
by sterling cheque, postal order, or by VISA/MASTERCARD/SWITCH. Telephone/Fax/Email orders welcomed.
brought me closer to Nelson the Unicorn had an active career Australian bases taking over basic Battalions (‘Seabees’) provided
From FAN PUBLICATIONS, 17 Wymans Lane, Cheltenham, Glos GL51 9QA.
man than any biography I have post-war, supporting carrier and infrastructure, much of which had facilities on a remote Pacifi c
Tel/Fax:01242 580290 / Website: www.fanpublications.co.uk or order from good bookshops.
read. other air operations in the Far already been created. island at Ponam better than those
NEW 044-045_NN_Feb.indd 2 18/1/08 16:16:50
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