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  Royal Navy c1945  Unkown 1981 |
Location Lat 1° 53' 60S Long 146° 54' 0E Ponam Island is one and a half miles long and 400 yards wide, surrounded by a coral reef in the Admiralty Island Group (Admiralty Islands). To the south nineteen miles away is Manus Island. Prewar and during the Pacific War part of the Territory of New Guinea. Today located in Manus Province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Wartime History The Japanese did not occupy Ponam Island. During the middle of 1944, US Navy 78th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) "Seabees" developed the island into an airfield in only ten weeks. Entertainer Bob Hope made an unscheduled visit to Ponam in late 1944, a show was organized for personnel form the surrounding bases before his party moved on. During March-April 1945, Ponam was turned over to the Royal Navy (RN). On March 13, 1945 the Royal Navy (RN) MSR No. 4 arrived at Ponam aboard HMS Speaker and began unloading their supplies from SS Clan Macauley. On March 25, 1945 the bulk of Mobile Naval Air Base No. 4 (MONAB IV) arrived aboard SS Empire Arquebus. Today Since 1945, erosion and wave action have caused the southern side of the island to change, with portions of island now submerged underwater. Disused as an airfield since the Pacific War. Ponam Airfield Built by the U.S. Navy and later used by the Royal Navy. References VC-20 Ponam Island Yesterday and Today MONAB IV (Mobile Naval Air Base No. 4) - Page 1 MONAB IV (Mobile Naval Air Base No. 4) - Page 2 MONAB IV (Mobile Naval Air Base No. 4) - Page 3 MONAB IV (Mobile Naval Air Base No. 4) - Page 4 MONAB Ponam & Pityilu Admiralty Islands HMS Nabaron | MONAB 4 | MSR 6 (1945) Contribute
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