HMS Ark Royal (R09)

1955-1978

Flight Deck:	R
Call Sign:	GKXS
Shipyard:	Cammell Laird

Timeline

Date	Event
Mar 19, 1942	Ordered	from Cammell Laird as HMS Irresistible
May 3, 1943	Laid down	as Yard No. V.1119
Mar 3, 1950	Launched	Cammell Laird as HMS Ark Royal Birkenhead
Feb 26, 1955	Commissioned	Deck id O until 1957, then R
Dec 1955	Aircraft	SAR Flt Dragonfly HR.3 assigned WG752 / 970-O and WG718 / 971-O, until Apr 1956. SAR Flt
Apr 30, 1956	Refit	at HMD Devonport to remove port-forward 4.5" gun interfering with aviation operations, until Nov 1956
Feb 1957	Refit	repairs to steam turbines at HMD Devonport, until mid-May Repairs
May 27, 1957	Deployment	Cromarty Firth Took part in the Royal Review of the Home Fleet in the Cromarty Firth. Fleet Review
Jun 8, 1957	Port Visit	Hampton Roads Visited Virginia, USA for the International Naval Review International Fleet Review, Virginia 1957
Dec 1957	Aircraft	until Sep 1958, Dragonfly HR.5 of 701 NAS B Flight embarked. Included Whirlwind HAR.3 XG577
Jan 24, 1958	Deployment	departed UK for Mediterranean, with embarked units and at least S-55 WV223 for delivery to 728 NAS C Flt at Hal Far.
Jun 1958	Aircraft	6 Whilrwind HAS.7 of 820 NAS embarked for Mediterranean operations until Aug 1958
Jul 21, 1958	Refit	Refit at HMD Devonport, removed deck edge lift, added Type 965 radar (replacing Type 293). Fire broke out 9 Apr 1959 during the refit, delaying completion to 28 Dec 1959. Scimitar upgrade refit air search radar Type 965
May 16, 1959	Port Visit	at HMNB Devonport for Navy Days 1959.
Mar 4, 1960	Aircraft	until Oct 1960, Whirlwind HAS.7 of 820 NAS B Flight embarked
Mar 4, 1960	Aircraft	until Feb 1961, Whirlwind HAS.7 of 824 NAS embarked
Apr 6, 1960	Aircraft	Whirlwind HAS.7 XL851/331 of 824 NAS ditched and sank, off Malta. Accident
May 18, 1960	Aircraft	824 NAS Whirlwind HAS.7 XK938/335 ditched and sank off Malta. (Replaced on unit strength by XL879 as /335 by Jul). Accident
Jun 11, 1960	Aircraft	Saint-Mandrier Whirlwinds of 820 and 824 NAS detached to Toulon, while a FN Aquillon unit deployed to the ship for 2 days. Detachment
Aug 11, 1960	Aircraft	824 NAS Whirlwind HAS.7 XK910/331 ditched and sank off Malta. Accident
Nov 30, 1960	Deployment	joint US-UK exercise in Western Mediterranean, including HMS Hermes, HMS Victorious, USS Independence, USS Intrepid and USS Saratoga. Exercise Royal Flush IV
Dec 3, 1960	Deployment	exercising in Mediterranean with HMS Hermes and HMS Victorious
Jan 1961	Trials	cold weather trials off Greenland, until 9 Feb.
Aug 5, 1961	Deployment	HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1961 Navy Days 1961
Oct 9, 1961	Aircraft	assigned Whirlwind HAS.7 XK911 as SAR Flt / 918-R, until c Nov/Dec 1963.
Nov 13, 1961	Aircraft	until Dec 1963, Wessex of 815 NAS embarked.
Nov 13, 1961	Deployment	departed HMNB Devonport for 3 month Mediterranean work up, returning Jan 1962
Dec 16, 1961	Port Visit	Grand Harbour / il-Port il-Kbir / Valletta to Grand Harbour, Malta, until 5 Jan 1962 Grand Harbour
Jan 16, 1962	Refit	damaged propellors when ran aground in Plymouth Sound, en route HMD Devonport dry dock for post-workup repairs and refit, until 2 Mar 1962
Mar 9, 1962	Deployment	departed HMNB Devonport and embarked Wessex HAS.1 of 815 NAS on 10 Jan, for 4th Commission in Far East, until early Jan 1964
Mar 19, 1962	Aircraft	Lost Wessex HAS.1 XM929/304-R of 815 NAS while operating en route Malta to Suez. Accident
Mar 27, 1962	Deployment	Aden Harbour relieved HMS Centaur in Aden as East of Suez carrier Aden
Apr 12, 1962	Deployment	Sembawang naval base arrived on Far East Station at Singapore Singapore
Jul 21, 1962	Deployment	Pulau Tioman departed Singapore for show of force off Pulau Tioman island, before participating in Exercise FOTEX 62 South China Sea Exercise FOTEX 62
Oct 25, 1962	Deployment	departed Singapore for UK via Aden, arrived HMNB Devonport on 16 Dec.
Mar 1963	Deployment	departed HMNB Devonport for duty in the Far East with Wessex of 815 NAS embarked. Relieved HMS Hermes on station, in Jul 1963. Returned early Jan 1964. Konfrontasi
Jan 4, 1964	Refit	at HMD Devonport until Nov 1964, fittings for 4x Seacat launchers added and equipped for Buccaneer operations. Fire broke out while circuit testing on 13 Oct, during refit. Buccaneer upgrade refit
Aug 1, 1964	Port Visit	HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1964. Navy Days 1964
Nov 1964	Aircraft	embarked Wessex HAS.1 of 819 NAS, until c May 1965.
Mar 10, 1965	Port Visit	Haakonsvern Naval Base to Bergen for short visit, with other NATO warships after Exercise Pilot Light
Jun 1965	Aircraft	until Sep 1966, Wessex HAS.1 of 815 NAS embarked
Oct 30, 1965	Refit	Fire in boiler room while undergoing routine repairs in Singapore, delayed for 3 weeks.
Dec 6, 1965		Berth Fremantle Harbour, Western Australia. Australia until 28/29 December 1965.
Jan 1966	Deployment	Mozambique Channel took up station off Mozambique after HMS Eagle had departed in Dec 1965. Wessex HAS.1 of 815 NAS embarked. Withdrew Mar 1966.
Feb 18, 1966	Port Visit	Port Mombasa alongside in Mombasa, until 3 Mar
Mar 6, 1966	Deployment	Mozambique Channel Beira Patrol, off Mozambique to enforce UN sanctions against Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) Beira Patrol
May 10, 1966	Deployment	Mozambique Channel Beira Patrol, off Mozambique to enforce UN sanctions against Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Relieved HMS Eagle and operated until 25 May. Beira Patrol
Oct 5, 1966	Refit	until Dec 1969, strengthening the flight deck and angling at 8.5 deg, water-cooled Jet Blast Deflectors, perforated cylinder Direct Acting Gear for the arrests, installation of Type 982/3 radars, replacement of the Type 963 radar by the SPN-35 CCA radar, Corvus chaff and fitting the Seacat missile launchers. Re-commissioned on 25 Feb 1970. Phantom upgrade refit air direction radar Type 982
Aug 26, 1967	Deployment	HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1967 Navy Days 1967
Jun 12, 1969	Refit	during refit, fire broke out while in HMD Devonport. Subsequently recommissioned on 25 Feb 1970.
Jan 6, 1970	Aircraft	RNAS Culdrose Ark Royal SAR Flt reformed with two Wessex HAS.1 at RNAS Culdrose. SAR Flight
Feb 1970	Aircraft	until Dec 1978, Sea King HAS.1 of 824 NAS embarked, included XV656 / 052-R, XV657 / 053-R, XV658 / 054-R and XV659 / 055-R.
Aug 29, 1970	Port Visit	HMD Devonport Ship open to visitors at Plymouth Navy Days 1970. Navy Days 1970
Oct 26, 1970	Port Visit	Grand Harbour / il-Port il-Kbir / Valletta visited Valetta in preparation for Exercise Lime Jug. Departed for Phase 1 exercise area on 29 Oct, in company with other ships. Malta
Nov 2, 1970	Deployment	struck by Russian Kotlin class vessel Bravvy on 9 Nov while shadowing HMS Ark Royal during Mediterranean Exercise Lime Jug, off Crete. Exercise Lime Jug
Dec 3, 1970	Port Visit	Naples Harbour visit to Naples, until 8 Dec.
Dec 18, 1970	Refit	until 15 Apr 1971 in refit at HMD Devonport, including repairs to holes above waterline from damage by Kotlin in Mediterranean collision.
Jun 2, 1971	Deployment	departed HMNB Devonport for 2 month Caribbean and North Atlantic deployment, returning 30 Jul
Aug 28, 1971	Port Visit	HMD Devonport Ship open to visitors at Plymouth Navy Days 1971. Navy Days 1971
Sep 27, 1971	Deployment	participated in Royal Knight in Norwegian Sea and off North Cape, with USS Independence and USS Intrepid carrier groups and USS Newport News (CA-148), until 4 Oct. Exercise Royal Knight
Oct 30, 1971	Deployment	departed from HMNB Portsmouth for a 5 week Mediterranean deployment, returning to HMNB Devonport 7 Dec
Jan 20, 1972	Deployment	departed HMNB Devonport for 6 week Caribbean and North Atlantic deployment, returning 9 Mar
Jan 26, 1972	Deployment	Bermuda area detached from exercise with US Navy and ordered towards British Honduras, together with HMS Bacchante as escort. On 26 Jan she launched 4x Buccaneers of 809 NAS at extreme range to overfly the capital to deter Guatemalan ambitions. near Bermuda
Nov 1972	Deployment	participated in Exercise Corsica 72 off W coast of Corsica with HMS Bulwark, HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid.
Dec 1972	Aircraft	assigned Wessex HAS.1 XM845 / 056-R for SAR Flt until c mid 1973. SAR Flt
Feb 23, 1973	Port Visit	Grand Harbour / il-Port il-Kbir / Valletta maintenance period alongside in Malta. Maintenance
Jul 18, 1973	Port Visit	HMD Rosyth visit to Rosyth until 23 Jul, after recent return from WESTLANT 73 deployment.
Jul 26, 1973	Port Visit	Anchorage Charlie to/from Plymouth Sound C buoy for a Families Day at sea Families Day
Mar 1974	Aircraft	Wessex HAS.1 XP112 assigned as SAR Flt/046-R until c Jun 1975.
Sep 4, 1974	Aircraft	Lyme Bay (central) SAR Flt Wessex XS875/047-R crashed on deck, while off Lyme Bay Accident
Sep 4, 1974	Aircraft	Wessex HAS 1 XS875 suffered complete engine failure due to shedding a blade in the 7th stage of the compressor. It was in the English Channel, about 60 miles West of the Isle of White in a storm force 9. It had launched to rescue the crew of a small coastal ship carrying gravel which had shifted in the heavy seas and capsised, the crew of 5 had taken to the life raft. I know this because I was the pilot involved!
Sep 7, 1974	Aircraft	SAR Flt Wessex HAS.1 XS875 / 047-R crashed on deck on take-off, while off Scotland. Wreck air-lifted to RAF Lossiemouth by Sea King. Accident
Aug 1975	Aircraft	Wessex HAS.1 XP112 assigned as SAR Flt/047-R until 17 Sep 1975.
Sep 17, 1975	Aircraft	32nm S of Plymouth Wessex XP112 ditched c 32nm S of Plymouth and sank during recovery attempt. Accident
Feb 5, 1976	Deployment	departed HMNB Devonport on Western Atlantic deployment with 824 NAS Sea Kings embarked, returning on 16 Jul.
Mar 1, 1976	Port Visit	Roosevelt Roads 3 day visit to Puerto Rico, departing 3 Mar
Jun 30, 1976	Port Visit	Fort Lauderdale Present for week of 200th Anniversary Independence Day celebrations, until 6 Jul. 200th Anniversary
Aug 28, 1976	Port Visit	HMD Devonport Ship open to visitors at Plymouth Navy Days 1976. Navy Days 1976
Oct 1976	Refit	refit at HMD Devonport, with works on catapults and focus on sub-surface improvements, until Feb 1977
Jun 1977		Royal Fleet Review - HM Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Tasked with manning the side, as the Royal Yacht Britannia and escort reviewed the line, Ark Royal was the last in that line. I reported to the bosun who said, we ve no more space on the flight deck, just go and stand on the cable deck mate... The cable deck was two decks below the flight deck (2A0) and I was the only person assigned to that deck, not sure where I should stand, I decided it was probably neat and appropriate to stand on the anchoring platform that jutted out of the stem of the ship, accessed by a deck portal in the stem. I was standing on a 4 x3 grating held in place by its hinges and two chains, the view down the ships stem to the Solent below. I decided I could not remove my cap, (as every other rating was doing above me, due to the limited space and concerns over losing my cap in the drink, so as the Britannia hove into view and passed, I stood to attention and decided to just salute instead. I would have been the only rating to salute the monarch as they passed, on any of the ships present. Somewhere, someone probably has a picture of this and maybe wondering who that chap was on the nose of the ship - appearing as her figurehead . Well it was Radio Operator First Class D.B West. 6J2 Mess, HMS Ark Royal - 1976 to 1979, My final job being destore team , prior to joining the Silent Service where I finally left the RN in 1981.
Jun 25, 1977	Deployment	Flag Ship at Silver Jubilee Fleet Review off Ryde Sand Fleet Review: Silver Jubilee of HM The Queen
Aug 27, 1977	Deployment	HMD Devonport present at Plymouth Navy Days 1977 Navy Days 1977
Apr 5, 1978	Deployment	left HMD Devonport for North Atlantic and Mediterranean, her final deployment, returning 4 Dec 1978
Dec 1978	Decommissioned
Feb 13, 1979	Struck	Paid off
Sep 22, 1980	Fate: scrapped	Cairnryan departed HMD Devonport under tow for Cairnryan, scrapped from Oct 1980 Breakers Yard

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