The Last Commission

The 'present' Ark Royal

It was on the 4^th November 1941 that the long and agreeable association between HMS ARK ROYAL and the City of Leeds began, when the City Fathers, in preparation for the “Warship Week” between 31^st January and 7^th February 1942, decided to adopt the third ARK ROYAL as an incentive to raise funds for the war effort. Ten days later the ship sank. Such was the wave of emotion that swept the country in the wake of the disaster, that the target set for the campaign was exceeded and over £9 million was invested by the people of Leeds. In recognition of the City’s efforts the privilege of adopting the new ARK ROYAL was reserved for Leeds, and adopting was officially confirmed on 19^th September 1942. Lloyds of London also adopted the ship and both of these ties remain as strong today as they were in the early days of the ship’s life

The photograph is by Edward Chambré Hardman:

See more pictures of the Ark under construction & being launched by clicking the links contained within this page at the Liverpool Record Office.

For the next five years the ship remained in Birkenhead while all the latest developments in aircraft carrier flying techniques and associated equipment were incorporated and by the time she was commissioned on 25^th February 1955 she was the biggest and most modern ship in the Royal Navy

The launching of the Ark was the beginning of the Queen Mother’s association with the ship and in the Commissioning Edition of Noah’s News of February 1955, the following message from Her Majesty was printed:-

“I am most happy to send a message of goodwill to the ARK ROYAL and all her company.

“She bears a name which has won great renown through all the long years of this country’s mastery of the seas: those who set forth in her have a proud inheritance and a great name to uphold.

“I do not doubt that they will bring to her service the loyalty, seamanship, and courage which is her right, and I send my good wishes to all who put to sea again in the ARK ROYAL.”

early days of RO9

The ARK ROYAL with her 5 ½  degree  angled deck was Commanded by Captain D. R. F. Cambell, DSC, EN, who had evolved the angled flight deck concept some years earlier. [For more on the life & career of Captain Cambell click here]

After various work-ups and trials around the coasts of the UK and a spell in the Gibraltar sea areas, the fist flying trials took place in June/July.

The aircraft of this period were the Sea Hawks (800 & 898 Squadrons) and Sea Venoms (809 & 891 Squadrons).

Ark had numerous commissions and refit periods after 1955 and during each refit, the latest aids available for operating aircraft were incorporated, and the aircraft changed as developments in this field progressed. From 1955 until October 1966 when ARK ROYAL went into Devonport for a 3 years major refit, she roamed the High Seas as part of Britain’s Fixed Wing Carrier Force, and during the period had 5 commissions.

The aim of the three years, £32 million refit and modernisation plan was:

1. To enable the ship to operate the latest aircraft, i.e. the deck and hangars were “Phantomised”, and the angle deck extended to 8 ½ degrees.
2. To extend the old ship’s life into the seventies.
3. To improve the accommodation.

During this period, Ark was ripped to pieces and slowly put together again so that at the end she emerged as the largest and most powerful warship ever to join the Royal Navy. The ship was re-commissioned on 24^th February 1970 at Devonport with Captain Lygo in command.

The first incident of this sixth commission to receive world wide attention occurred on the 9^th November 1970 while the ship was operating in the Mediterranean. ARK ROYAL collided with a Russian SAM Kotlin class destroyer.

From then until the present day, ARK ROYAL has continued to be news worthy. She continued to operate on the High Seas but now, within the NATO role, she was limited to the North Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, and Mediterranean, and for our final deployment in 1978 we are following a similar pattern to previous recent deployments

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