CV · Aircraft Carrier
| Flight Deck: | A |
| Call Sign: | GKXR |
| Shipyard: | Swan Hunter (Wallsend) |
Timeline
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Jul 12, 1943 | |
| Mar 23, 1944 | Swan Hunter (Wallsend) Yard No. 1721 |
| May 6, 1947 | |
| Oct 18, 1949 | HMD Rosyth While under tow in the North Sea, heading for Rosyth, was in collision with mv Maystone which sank with loss of life, leaving hole in port side. Reached Rosyth on 19 Oct for repairs and planned bottom scrape. Accident |
| 1954 |  HMAS Kuttabul visited Sydney, while on maiden deployment to Far East and Australia Sydney |
| May 27, 1954 | Deck id Z until 1957, then A. First carrier to be completed with an angled deck (5 deg) and a deck landing mirror sight (DLMS). |
| Sep 1954 | assigned Dragonfly HR.3 to SAR Flt WG669/902-Z until c Jun 1955 |
| Jan 1956 | departed UK on maiden deployment to Far East, returning in May. |
| Aug 1956 | assigned Whirlwind HAR.3 to SAR Flt XG577 / 979-Z and XG578 / 980-Z, until c Sep 1957 SAR Flt |
| Sep 17, 1956 |  Grand Harbour / il-Port il-Kbir / Valletta Arrived in Malta, covertly preparing for Op Musketeer. SAR Flt equipped with Whirlwind HAR.3 XG573 / 979 (temporary assignment) & XG578 / 980. |
| Nov 1, 1956 | Nile Delta Participated in Suez Canal fixed wing operations and remained on patrol for c a month following the cease fire. Port Said Operation Musketeer |
| May 27, 1957 | Cromarty Firth Took part in the Royal Review of the Home Fleet in the Cromarty Firth. Fleet Review |
| Nov 1957 | HMD Portsmouth Refit in HMD Portsmouth until c Apr 1958 |
| Jul 22, 1958 | after rapid work installing tie down points, departed UK with 42 Commando RM and HQ 19 Infantry Brigade with its kit and vehicles embarked, for Malta to augment the garrison in case intervention in the Iraqi Revolution was required. |
| Aug 1958 | Whirlwind HAS.7 of 820 NAS embarked for Far East operations, until May 1959 |
| Oct 23, 1958 | 820 NAS Whirlwind HAS.7 XL871/324 /W ditched and sank off Cadiz Accident |
| May 1959 | visited Madagascar, while returning to UK from Far East and Australasian deployment. |
| Aug 1959 | Refit at HMD Portsmouth until c Nov 1959 |
| Feb 9, 1960 | While en route to Far East with 815 NAS embarked, Whirlwind HAS.7 XL850/302-A ditched and sank in western Mediterranean. Accident |
| Mar 26, 1960 |  Piraeus Three day visit to Piraeus. Anchored in Piraeus Bay, until 29 Mar. |
| Apr 10, 1960 | Whirlwind HAS.7 XL897 815 NAS/302-A ditched and sank while operating dunking sonar on 10 Apr 1960 Accident |
| Aug 10, 1960 | Whirlwind HAS.7 XL880/306-A damaged blades and tail in deck accident while operating with 815 NAS in the Far East Accident |
| Aug 22, 1960 | off Hong Kong assisted injured crewman on ss Twinhorse, c 60 nm SSE of Hong Kong. Launched two Whirlwind from 815 Sq, including XL883/308. Emergency |
| Aug 23, 1960 |  Victoria Harbour Ten day visit to Hong Kong, departed 1 Sep. |
| Oct 1, 1960 |  Sembawang naval base Offloaded a number of helicopters to AHU at RAF Tengah (including XL880) while at Singapore. |
| Jan 1961 | until 1962, conversion to Commando Carrier and recommissioned on 1 Aug 1962 Commando Carrier refit |
| Nov 2, 1962 |  off Brunei Bay Embarked 846 NAS with its 6 Whirlwind HAS.7 and 845 NAS with 12 Wessex HAS.1 from RNAS Culdrose for Far East deployment. Disembarked on 14 Dec 1962 for operations from Borneo (846 to Seria, 845 to Brunei). After time on station, relieved by HMS Bulwark, departed Feb 1964 for UK and arrived back in HMNB Portsmouth on 15 Apr 1964. Old Grey Ghost of the Coast Konfrontasi |
| Nov 26, 1962 |  Aden Harbour sunk a tug following collision in Aden Accident |
| Dec 14, 1962 | Stood off Labuan in South China Sea and launched Whirlwind HAS.7 of 846 Sq and Wessex of 845 Sq to support the ejection of Indonesian backed troops from Brunei Konfrontasi |
| Sep 28, 1963 | Labuan ferried 3 detachments of 103 Squadron Whirlwind HAR.10 (2 airframes from Singapore, 3 from Kuching and 3 from Sibu) to reinforce 110 Squadron at RAF Labuan. Arrived 30 Sep 1963. Old Grey Ghost of the Coast Konfrontasi |
| Nov 1963 | Delivered RAF No 38 Group Spine Force reinforcement for the Far East Air Force to support operations in Sarwak, Brunei and Sabah (Borneo) during the Indonesian Confrontation. Included three Belvedere and a Whirlwind and arrived initially in Singapore on 20 Nov. Old Grey Ghost of the Coast Konfrontasi |
| Mar 28, 1964 | Aden Harbour embarked 4x Khormaksar SAR Flt Sycamore (including XL829) for return to UK, after they were in process of being replaced by Whirlwind HAR.10. Part of HMS Albion return leg to UK, begun on 2 Nov 1962. |
| Apr 1964 | Gulf of Aden relieved as the Far East station carrier by HMS Bulwark, off Aden. |
| Nov 23, 1964 | Left HMNB Portsmouth for sea trials after dry-docking for several months, following recommissioning ceremony. |
| Mar 12, 1965 | off Brunei Bay departed HMNB Portsmouth, 848 Sq embarked with 12 Wessex HU.5 plus the Sioux of 40 Commando Air Troop, for 18 month Far East and Borneo deployment, via Suez Canal. Transported detachment of 815 NAS Wessex HAS.1 to Sibu, from May to Jul 1965. Returned to UK Sep 1966 Old Grey Ghost of the Coast Konfrontasi |
| Nov 25, 1965 | Aden Harbour departed Aden for Singapore with remaining 4 ex 26 Squadron Belvedere, including XG474, for 66 Squadron and arrived 4 Dec. |
| Dec 1965 | While returning to Singapore from Labuan, rammed and sank Indonesian patrol boat which had attacked her. Damaged bow, which was repaired during the Feb-Apr 1966 docking period in Singapore. |
| Aug 1966 | Red Sea returned a number of Whirlwind HAS.7 back to the UK from Sembawang. Relieved as the Far East station carrier by HMS Bulwark in the Red Sea |
| Sep 1966 | Refit at HMD Portsmouth, having left Singapore in Aug 1966. Completed c Mar 1967. |
| Jun 1967 | off Lagos during Nigerian Civil War, to support possible evacuations. Arrived back in UK by early Jul 1967 |
| Oct 1967 | off Aden until 29 Nov 1967, part of Task Force 318 to cover the British withdrawal from Aden during Operation Magister. TF 945 |
| 1968 | refit during the winter, completed 1969 |
| Feb 1968 | Departed Singapore for Aden again |
| Sep 20, 1968 | participated in Exercise Coral Sands, until 13 Oct with 848 Squadron embarked. Exercise Exercise Coral Sands |
| Nov 1968 | deployed off Cambodia to prevent arms smuggling. Operation Charlotte |
| Aug 1969 | Refit until c Feb 1970 |
| Mar 1970 | embarked Wessex HU.5 of 848 Sq for post-refit work up. |
| Feb 1971 | disembarked Wessex of 845 Sq in mid Feb (following participation in Exercise Clockwork 71 in the Lofoten Islands), before returned to HMNB Portsmouth. |
| Mar 1971 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 9 month Far East and South Pacific deployment, staging around Singapore. Returned to Portsmouth on 24 Jan 1972. |
| Mar 1971 | embarked 12 Wessex of 848 Sq near end of Mar, some in HMNB Portsmouth and some en route near Portland. 848 NAS disembarked to HMS Simbang on 22 May |
| Jul 1, 1971 | Visited Kobe, Japan during Far East deployment, departed on 8 Jul. |
| Aug 9, 1971 | Fremantle Harbour Visited Fremantle, Australia during Far East deployment, departed on 17 Aug. |
| Oct 29, 1971 | Sembawang naval base re-embarked 848 NAS from HMS Simbang after they had flown past during the bases handover ceremony, then to Masirah (and 40 CDO RM to be dropped at Gan), prior to departing for the Indian Ocean. 848 NAS disembarked in the UK to RNAS Culdrose, on 20 Jan 1972. Withdrawal from Singapore |
| Nov 14, 1971 |  Port Mombasa week visit to Mombasa, with maintenance |
| Nov 23, 1971 | stood off East Pakistan (before Bangladesh was formed) in the Bay of Bengal to support British nationals during the conflict. 22 Wessex HU.5 of 848 NAS and 4 Sea King of 826 NAS embarked. Bay of Bengal Indo-Pakistan war contingency |
| Dec 1971 | disembarked 826 Sq Sea King detachment back to HMS Eagle off Durban, after Christmas 1971, before the new year. |
| Dec 15, 1971 |  Gan Anchorage arrived Gan, disembarked 40 Commando RM, (to be flown home for Christmas). |
| Dec 30, 1971 |  Simon Town Naval Dockyard spent New Year in Simonstown, departed 5 Jan 1972 |
| Jan 1972 | from late Jan 1972, short refit at HMD Portsmouth until c Mar 1972 |
| Apr 11, 1972 | departed UK for Mediterranean deployment until 31 May. |
| Apr 20, 1972 | off Cyprus for exercises, until 29 Apr |
| Jun 15, 1972 | embarked 848 NAS Wessex in Scotland until 5 Jul, for RNAS Culdrose. |
| Jun 28, 1972 | Visited Rotterdam, Netherlands during Northern Waters deployment, departed on 4 Jul. |
| Jul 1972 | embarked Wessex HU.5 of 845 Sq, replacing 848 Sq. |
| Mar 2, 1973 | HMNB Portsmouth at Portsmouth, after paying off on 24 Nov 1972 |
| Jul 1973 | Fareham Creek sold to be converted as North Sea hydrocarbon support vessel |
| Nov 1973 | project abandoned by new owners and scrapped at Faslane |