Built as an aircraft carrier under yard No 1119 by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead for the Royal Navy.
03 May 1943 laid down as HMS IRRESISTIBLE but prior to launch renamed.
03 May 1950 launched as HMS ARK ROYAL one sister the HMS EAGLE. She was one of the Audacious-class.
Displacement 43,060 tons standard, 50,786 tons full load. Dim. 245 x 34.4 x 11m. (draught), length bpp. 219.5m.
Powered by 4 Parsons geared turbines, 152,000 shp, four shafts, speed 31.5 knots.
Range by a speed of 24 knots, 5.000 mile.
Armament: 16 – 4.5 inch, 52 – 40mm Bofors AA guns.
Carried 50 aircraft when built.
Crew 2.640 including air staff.
25 February 1955 commissioned, homeport Devonport.
She was completed to a more modern configuration with a pair of steam catapults, a 5.5º flight deck, a mirror landing sight.
ARK ROYAL participated in many exercises as part of the British fleet and NATO squadrons, but saw no combat duty. She was not involved in the Suez Crisis of 1956, about a year after her commissioning, because she was doing post-refit trials. In 1963, she carried out trials for a new type of Vertical/Short Take Off and Landing (V/STOL) aircraft, the Hawker P.1127, which developed into the Hawker Siddeley Harrier.
She was involved in a notorious incident on 9 November 1970 when she collided with a Soviet Kotlin class destroyer while it was shadowing ARK ROYAL (a common practice during the Cold War), which was in the Mediterranean to participate in a NATO exercise. ARK ROYAL was damaged only slightly, while the Soviet destroyer sustained minor damage and two missing crew. ARK ROYAL’s commanding officer, Captain Ray Lygo, was cleared of blame at the subsequent court-martial.
The ship featured in the 1960s British television series Not Only... But Also starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. In one episode, they used the ship's catapult to shoot a piano into the sea while Moore was (supposedly) playing it. When commissions ended, items were fired off the catapult, including pianos and once a toilet complete with paying-off
By 1970, ARK ROYAL now had a complement of 39 aircraft. This typically comprised 12 Phantom FG MK.1s, of 892 Squadron, 14 Buccaneer S MK.2s of 809 Squadron, 4 Gannet AEW Mk.3s of B Flight 849 Squadron, 6 Sea King HAS Mk.1s of 824 Squadron, 2 Wessex HAR Mk.1s of the Ship's Flight and 1 Gannet COD MK.4. later replaced by a AEW3. The Buccaneers doubled as tanker aircraft, using buddy refuelling pods, and as long-range reconnaissance aircraft with bomb bay-mounted camera packs. In July 1976, she represented Britain at the United States Bicentennial Celebration in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Originally intended to be taken out of service in the mid 1970s, she was kept operational by cannibalizing parts from her now-decommissioned sister, HMS EAGLE.
In the late 1970s, the ship made a return to television. A major BBC documentary series, Sailor was made, showing life on board the ship during a February to July 1976 Western Atlantic deployment. Her commanding officer at this time was Captain Wilfred Graham, a later Flag Officer Portsmouth and the ship's Commander (executive officer) was Commander David Cowling. The theme tune for the programme was "Sailing" by Rod Stewart - a song that came to be associated with the ship and her successor.
She entered HMNB Devonport for the last time on 4 December 1978 and decommissioned on 14 February 1979 when the White Ensign was lowered for the last time. On 29 March 1980,the MOD announced that she would she sold for scrap ending plans to preserve her. She left Devonport on 22 September 1980 under tow to be scrapped at Cairnryan near Stranraer in Scotland, arriving on the 28th. Breaking up took until 1983. Various parts of the ship remain as souvenirs or memorials for instance, an anchor outside the Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton. During her service career, she had 21 commanding officers.
Montserrat 2009 sg?, scott?
Chad 2015 1500f sg?, scott? (stamp design is after her when just in commission)
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(R09) The Encyclopedia of Warships. http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz