Former Royal Air Force station in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
Royal Air Force Kai Tak or more commonly RAF Kai Tak is a former Royal Air Force station situated in Hong Kong, at Kai Tak Airport, Kowloon. It was established by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1927 and used for seaplanes. The RAF flight operated a few land based aircraft as well as having spare aircraft for naval units.
It was also the location of HMS "Nabcatcher", a Royal Navy Mobile Operational Naval Air Base, (MONAB) VIII, which was there between 1945 and 1947. At the start of April 1947, it was decommissioned and concurrently re-commissioned as HMS "Flycatcher". At the end of December, HMS "Flycatcher" was officially decommissioned at Kai Tak, although the Royal Navy retained lodger rights.
The lodging facilities ceased to operate following the official decommissioning of RAF Kai Tak on 30 June 1978, at which point all RAF units and responsibilities were transferred to RAF Sek Kong.
Royal Navy.
Beginnings (1939–1941).
On 24 May 1939, the control of all Fleet Air Arm squadrons and flights was transferred to the Admiralty, while the Royal Air Force (RAF) granted lodger rights at Kai Tak. No. 715 Catapult Flight, which had been established at RAF Kai Tak in 1936, was by this point engaged in operations with Supermarine Walrus amphibious maritime patrol aircraft on Royal Navy cruisers, using Kai Tak as its shore base. 715 Naval Air Squadron represented the sole Royal Navy presence at the station at the onset of the Second World War in September 1939. On 21 January 1940, this squadron was integrated into 700 Naval Air Squadron, which assumed responsibility for all catapult aircraft operations.
On 8 December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army began Battle of Hong Kong soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The colony resisted for two weeks before surrendering on 25 December 1941.
HMS "Nabcatcher" (1945–1947).
HMS "Nabcatcher" was a Royal Navy (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) at Kai Tak airfield. HMS "Nabcatcher" was also known as MONAB VIIII and Royal Naval Air Station Kai Tak (or RNAS Kai Tak).
On 26 September, MONAB VIII was established at Kai Tak airfield as RNAS Kai Tak, HMS "Nabcatcher". This unit was designed to operate in a manner akin to those in Australia, providing shore facilities for disembarked squadrons and ultimately overseeing a Fleet Requirements Unit (FRU). Concurrently, the Royal Air Force began its operations at this site. It was decided that the station would be used collaboratively, comprising two camp and maintenance areas. The airfield was partitioned, with the RAF occupying the eastern section, which contained pre-war airfield infrastructure, while the Royal Navy used the western, undeveloped area for the deployment of MONAB equipment. It was established that the RAF would retain sole authority over Air Traffic Control.
Personnel and equipment for Mobile Naval Air Base VIII had assembled in May 1945, at RNAS Middle Wallop (HMS "Flycatcher") in Hampshire. This mobile air base was called a Fighter Support MONAB and its technical components were Mobile Maintenance (MM) No. 7, Mobile Servicing (MS) Nos. 13 and 14, with Mobile, Storage, and Reserve (MSR) No. 9, which provided support for Seafire, Corsair, and Firefly fighters.
MONAB VIII was commissioned as HMS "Nabcatcher" on 1 July 1945, with Captain V. N. Surtees, , RN, serving as the commanding officer. That month personnel boarded SS "Majola", which departed for Sydney, Australia. The stores, equipment, and vehicles were loaded onto the , which departed on 7 July. The announcement of the Surrender of Japan was while at sea, leading to the celebration of V-J Day during the voyage. With the conclusion of the war, MONAB VIII was deemed unnecessary for operations in Australia. The MONAB was scheduled for transfer to Hong Kong, where it would be established at Kai Tak airport to assist in the reopening of the airfield and to offer shore-based support to the British Pacific Fleet units stationed in the region.
The advance contingent of MONAB VIII was transported aboard the escort carrier , which set sail from Australia for Hong Kong on 5 September. The SS "Empire Chieftain" reached Sydney two days prior, on 3 September and departed for Hong Kong on 15 September. Mobile, Storage, and Reserve (MSR) No. 9 embarked on the escort carrier for its journey to Hong Kong, which commenced on 28 September. 1701 Naval Air Squadron headquarters was established at HMS "Nabcatcher" on 1 November 1945 and 721 Naval Air Squadron, a Fleet Requirements Unit arrived on 11 January 1946 on the escort carrier .
In August 1946, there was a reduction in the naval presence at the station, 1701 Naval Air Squadron disbanding on 27 August, with its Sea Otter aircraft transferred to 721 Naval Air Squadron, the FRU. The same day MONAB VIII was no longer recognised as an independent command, being downgraded to the status of RN Air Section Kai Tak. The ships account for "Nabcatcher" was maintained at , the Royal Naval base in Hong Kong.
At the beginning of October, the aircraft carrier docked in Hong Kong, where it disembarked its squadrons, 806 Naval Air Squadron with Seafire F Mk XV fighters and 837 Naval Air Squadron flying Firefly FR.I fighter reconnaissance aircraft. The squadrons re-embarked at the beginning of November, with 837 Naval Air Squadron returning to the ship on 4 November followed by 806 Naval Air Squadron two days later.
On 8 November 1946, command of HMS "Nabcatcher" was transferred to Commander (A) W. H. N. Martin, RN, who also assumed the role of Fleet Aviation Officer (FAO) for the British Pacific Fleet. On 27 November, more Seafire F Mk XV fighter aircraft arrived at the station when 802 Naval Air Squadron disembarked from and they were joined by 806 Naval Air Squadron from HMS "Glory" on 19 December.
HMS "Flycatcher" (1947).
The two Seafire squadrons remained at RNAS Kai Tak until 12 February 1947, then rejoined their aircraft carriers. HMS "Nabcatcher" resumed its primary function of conducting FRU flights until 1 April, when a further administrative shift took place. "Nabcatcher" was decommissioned and the Air Section was re-commissioned as HMS "Flycatcher", a name associated with the two MONAB formation stations in the United Kingdom, while accounts continued to be managed by HMS "Tamar".
The RN Air Section at Kai Tak marked the conclusion of its operations with the arrival of its final disembarked squadron on 20 October 1947. On this date, Seafire F Mk XV fighters from 804 Naval Air Squadron flew ashore from the aircraft carrier , subsequently re-embarking on 4 November. A decision had been made to terminate the operations of the RN Air Section; the Fleet Requirements Unit was officially disbanded on 31 December and HMS "Flycatcher" was decommissioned on 31 December. Following these events, the facilities of the RN Air Section at Kai Tak were downgraded to a 'care and maintenance', with an 18-month notice period established for potential reopening but this was never pursued, although the rights to disembark Royal Navy squadrons at the airfield were preserved.
Commanding officers.
List of commanding officers of HMS "Nabcatcher" / "Flycatcher" with date of appointment:
Units based at HMS "Nabcatcher".
List of units associated with MONAB VIII, in support of disembarked fighter squadrons:
Lodger facilities (1948–1978).
The initial deployment of a Royal Navy squadron ashore following the transfer of the airfield to the Royal Air Force occurred during the Malayan Emergency. On 5 November 1949, 800 Naval Air Squadron, with Seafire FR Mk.47 fighters, disembarked from the Colossus class and re-embarked on 3 December. The squadron returned on 13 March 1950, remaining on land for a duration of one month before re-embarking on 10 April.
Sea Venom FAW.22 jet fighters of 891 Naval Air Squadron disembarked from the aircraft carrier on 17 May 1958. The squadron remained deployed until 3 June before returning to the carrier. This deployment marked the sole occasion when Royal Navy jet aircraft used the historic runway 12/30. A new runway, 13/31, was inaugurated in September 1958, extending into Kowloon Bay on reclaimed land. This new runway was on the south-eastern side of the airfield, distinct from the other two runways.
In December 1958, two squadrons from the "Centaur"-class light fleet carrier deployed detachments to Kai Tak. On 12, three Whirlwind HAS.7 anti-submarine helicopters from 820 Naval Air Squadron were deployed, followed by five Sea Venom FAW.21 jet fighter aircraft from 809 Naval Air Squadron on 19 December. Both groups rejoined HMS "Albion" on 5 January 1959. HMS "Albion" returned in July 1960, during which a detachment of four Sea Venom FAW.22 jets from 894 Naval Air Squadron was disembarked for a week-long stay. Later that same year, several Whirlwind HAS.7 anti-submarine helicopters from 848 Naval Air Squadron were landed from HMS "Bulwark" on 9 November and they re-embarked on 21 November.
On 23 October 1963, disembarked a contingent consisting of four Buccaneer S.1 aircraft from 801 Naval Air Squadron and four Sea Vixen FAW.1 aircraft from 893 Naval Air Squadron for a brief period, with both units re-embarking on 7 November. On 22 December, HMS "Albion" landed a detachment of three Whirlwind HAS.7 anti-submarine helicopters from 846 Naval Air Squadron, which departed on 12 January 1964. In March of the same year, the Fairey Gannet AEW.3 aircraft from ‘B’ flight of 849 Naval Air Squadron were disembarked from the lead ship of her class on the 28 and re-embarked on the 13 of the following month.
HMS "Centaur" returned to Hong Kong in September 1964, disembarking de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.1 from 892 Naval Air Squadron on the 19, followed by, this time, the Fairey Gannet aircraft from ‘B’ flight of 849 Naval Air Squadron on the 25, both of which re-joined the carrier on 14 October.
849 Naval Air Squadron's 'D' flight returned to RAF Kai Tak on 23 February 1965, having flown its Fairey Gannet AEW.3 from RAF Seletar in Singapore in anticipation of the aircraft carrier 's arrival. The squadron embarked on the on 11 March. Three years later, on 23 March 1968, the same flight disembarked from HMS "Eagle" for a short period, rejoining the vessel on 6 April.
The final Royal Navy helicopter squadron to operate from RAF Kai Tak was the Westland Wessex HU.5 troop transporter equipped 847 Naval Air Squadron, which arrived on 28 September 1970 after flying in from RNAS Sembawang (HMS "Simbang"), Singapore. They departed to return to RNAS Sembawang on 23 October, just under a month later. The last Royal Navy aircraft to utilise the landing rights at RAF Kai Tak were two Fairey Gannet AEW.3 airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft from 'D' flight of 849 Naval Air Squadron, which were put ashore from HMS "Eagle" on 14 October 1971 and re-embarked on 27.
The lodger facilities were discontinued after the formal closure of RAF Kai Tak on 30 June 1978.
Royal Air Force.
From 1968 to 1978 it was used by various RAF helicopter units, as well as the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force. 
A list of RAF units at Kai Tak:
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force.
The civilian Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force was based at Kai Tak between 1 May 1949 and 1 April 1993, supported by the Royal Air Force. It comprised the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force Wing (which was previously the Hong Kong Auxiliary Squadron) between 24 November 1953 and December 1954 which controlled the Hong Kong (Fighter) Squadron, Hong Kong Fighter Control Unit and the Hong Kong Air Traffic Control Centre.
The Hong Kong Auxiliary Flight was formed on 15 September 1949 operating Spitfire F.24's and Auster AOP.6's, it was expanded into the Hong Kong Auxiliary Squadron on 1 October 1950, with the addition of Harvard IIb's. On 24 November 1953 the auxiliary squadron was split into the Hong Kong (Fighter) Squadron and the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force Wing. The new (Fighter) Squadron gained the Auster T.7 and was disbanded during December 1954.
The RAF left Kai Tak and moved most other operations to RAF Sek Kong on 30 June 1978. From 1993 the civilian Government Flying Service replaced the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force at Kai Tak.
Royal Navy squadrons at HMS "Nabcatcher".
A list of the Fleet Air Arm's aviation units that were either stationed at or deployed HMS "Nabcatcher" and MONAB VIII.
Royal Navy squadrons at HMS "Flycatcher".
A list of the Fleet Air Arm's aviation units that were either stationed at or deployed to HMS "Flycatcher" and the RN Air Section at RAF