The Last Commission

Refit

October 1976 to June 1977

The story of the ship’s seventh and last planned normal refit began earlier than the scheduled starting date of 22^nd November. Preparations had started early in the year when defect lists had been prepared and the refit was planned around these. The dockyard personnel who had flown out to Toulon to prepare the ground work, started on the catapults as soon as the fixed wing had disembarked, and inside the ship hardboard began to cover the passage-ways and mess-decks.

Alongside at Devonport, a four week pre-refit period began to prepare the ship for the onslaught that would follow, and tank cleaning vessels, lighters and dockside cranes were in constant use. At the Refit Conference on 9^th November everyone concerned had a clearer idea of the work to be done and the difficulties to be overcome. All appreciated the necessity of containing the refit within the 28 weeks allowed if the ship was to make its appearance as the Flagship at the Silver Jubilee Fleet Review in June 1977.

Charity Walkers

The Ark Records

To bring a little relaxation into the proceedings, the BBC returned to the ship on the 18^th November in the form of BBC Enterprises. They recorded the Ship’s Company singing “Sailing” and “The Wombles Song” for release as a record, following the success of the BBC TV series “Sailor”, which had made the ARK ROYAL a nationwide celebrity.

Two members of the Weapons Electrical Department OEM’s David Turner and Alan Gould did their thing for charity by completing a 333 mile sponsored walk between 22^nd November and 11^th December. Their efforts raised £700 for ten year old Tracey Brown of Sowerly Bridge near Halifax who suffers from Tunnel Vision.

While the walk was underway, the ship’s company took part in a shorter walk when they moved into HMS DRAKE during November, and the ship became a place of work only

By the 13^th December all was ready for Ark to be moved gently from the outer wall to the safety of No 10 Dry Dock. The state of the hull was found to be considerably better than had been expected and work began on refitting sea tubes, rudders and the main shaft outer bearings as the sip disappeared under a mantle of scaffolding.

During the dry dock period, the ship continued to maintain its strong ties with the City of Leeds when personnel from ARK ROYAL participated in a week long exhibition in mid February which covered all aspects of the Royal Navy, sponsored by the Director of Naval Recruiting.

A strong contingent comprising a guard and band marched through the city streets before the Lord Mayor accompanied by Captain Anson, opened the exhibition.

By the 28^th February 1977 all the necessary work in the dry dock had been completed ahead of schedule and Ark was floated once more, undocked through the narrow gates and guided to the outer sea wall berth again.

On the 21^st March, Vice Admiral J. H. F. Eberle, on leaving the Flag Officer Carriers and Amphibious Ships’ chair visited and as a farewell gesture the Captain presented him with a framed photograph of the ARK ROYAL which had been his Flagship on numerous occasions. His successor, Rear Admiral W. D. M. Staveley called to see how the refit was progressing ten days later.

By the 13^th April the accommodation and galleys were ready for use and the ship’s company moved back on board. All the time work in hand was being completed and machinery spaces began to take shape as refitted items reappeared from the dockyard workshops. Machines and systems were tried, tested, adjusted and set to work, and it was with some satisfaction when the first puffs of black smoke emerged fro the funnel announcing that Ark was coming back to life. The Terminal Date Inspection by the Dockyard General Manager took place on the 6^th May and although there was still a great deal of refitting work to be done besides the cleaning up and painting, he confidently predicted that Completion Date would be achieved.

The ME Department achieved a fine performance away fro the ship in the 1977 Ten Tors Walk on Dartmoor over the weekend of 21^st/22^nd March. The “Bilge Rats” as the team was known, was made up of MEM’s from ‘A’ Unit and they showed their true metal by being the first  team from a sea going ship to complete the full 55 mile course.

The Bilge Rats fully deserved their team certificate and individual medals; and a lot of the credit must go to team manager FCMEM Les Sutton who started their training in January and ensured that they were fit to complete the course.

The Ship’s Basin Trial was successful indicating that all had gone well in the depths of the ship. The work on the catapults was completed much to everyone’s relief, and the catapult dead load trials were successfully completed by the end of May, and proved to be a popular spectator activity.

To show that they could do things as well, the Seamen demonstrated their knowledge in the manoeuvre known as “wind ship” on the 26^th May when the ship was turned through 180 degrees on the dockyard wall.

The final few days of May saw much activity with the final tidying up, cleaning and painting in readiness for the Completion Day Inspection on 1^st June by Flag Officer Plymouth, Vice Admiral J. M. Forbes and his staff. The hard work by everyone, ship’s staff and dockyard personnel, was rewarded with the assessment that we had done a good job and that he was well pleased with the final result. It was then a case of preparing the ship and the ship’s company’s new members ready for sea.

Vice Admiral Eberle Departs

...so does Enid

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