1 9 4 3
March
Contractors harbour trials
Commissioned for
service with Home Fleet.
12th
Build completion and commenced
Acceptance Trials in Clyde
area.
Embarked aircraft.
April
On completion of trials, storing and
weapon
trials took passage to join Home Fleet
to
May
at
Scapa Flow.
Deployed for landing trials, aircrew
training and work-up for operational
service with
ships of
Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow.
June
Home Fleet work-up in
continuation.
July
27th
Took
part with HM Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS
in offensive Home Fleet sweep off
Norway to simulate threat of invasion in
Norway and as a diversion during allied
HUSKY
landings in
Sicily (Operation GOVERNOR)
(Note:
Cover of flying operations was
provided by HM Battleships ANSON and DUKE
OF YORK,
cruisers of Home Fleet and screen
of destroyers from Scapa Flow.)
August
5th
Deployed
with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS in NW Approaches to
carry out anti-submarine air
patrols in
support of surface operations for convoy
defence by Western Approaches Escort
and Support
Groups.
Nominated for service in Mediterranean
with Force V for support of planned allied
landings
at Salerno, Italy (Operation AVALANCHE)
Passage via Gibraltar to join ships of Force V
September
Joined HM Escort Aircraft Carriers
ATTACKER, BATTLE, HUNTER and STALKER
in
Mediterranean in Force V.
(Note:
Force V –Task Force 88 (Rear Admiral
Vian)).
Support
Carrier Force also comprised
HM Cruisers EURYALUS, CHARYBDIS and
SCYLLA, HM Destroyers
CLEVELAND, HOLCOMBE, ATHERSTONE,
LIDDESDALE, FARNDALE,
CALPE,
HAYDON, Polish destroyers SLAZAK and
KRAKOWIAK.)
October
On release from detached
service with Force V took passage to Scapa Flow to resume
Home Fleet duties.
November
Deployment with Home Fleet in continuation
December
Nominated for transfer to Eastern
Fleet
30th
Took
passage to Trincomalee with HM Battleships
QUEEN ELIZABETH, VALIANT,
HM Battlecruiser RENOWN and HM
Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS screened by
Home
Fleet destroyers
and Frigates.
1
9 4 4
January
Passage in Mediterranean to Alexandria.
12th
Frigates
detached on arrival at Alexandria.
30th
Arrived at Trincomalee via Red
Sea to join Eastern Fleet.
February
Deployed with eastern Fleet
during exercises to prepare for planned
air operations
to
against
Japanese installations in Sumatra.
November
(Note:
During this period ship was deployed
as a Fleet aircraft carrier since her
flight
deck could
be used for normal flying operations. The
ship was also available for
transport of
aircraft and had repair facilities if
required. No record of participation
in
operational attacks with Eastern Fleet can
be traced.)
Nominated for transfer to British
Pacific Fleet
December
Passage in Indian Ocean to Fremantle
1
9 4 5
January
Nominated for special duty.
14th
Deployed
with HM Cruiser SUFFOLK, HM Destroyers
ULSTER, QUIBERON (RAN)
and
QUICKMATCH (RAN) as escort for commercial
liner during passage from
Fremantle to Sydney with HRH Duke of Gloucester to take up
his appointment
as Governor General.
20th
Deployed
at Sydney to prepare for service in
British Pacific Fleet
February
Joined Fleet Train Task, Force
112 for aircraft repair and transport in
support of air
operations
by Fleet Aircraft Carriers of British
Pacific Fleet.
Took passage to Manus, in Admiralty
Islands with ships of Fleet Train to await
transfer
British warships
for service in 5th US Fleet in SW
Pacific.
(Note:
Before formal transfer to US Navy
overall command ships other than Fleet
Train were identified as Task Force
113.)
16th
Arrived
at Momote,
Manus with Fleet Train
(Note:
For
details of Fleet Train composition and
function see THE FORGOTTEN
FLEET by J Winton.)
March
Deployed at Manus
15th
British
Pacific Fleet transferred and became Task
Force 57.
(Note:
Some
ships required for replenishment went to
the US Forward Base at
Leyte
after the transfer.
See above reference and WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO)
April
Deployed at Manus for aircraft repair and
use
as a Ferry Carrier in support of
aircraft
carrier deployed for air attacks on
Japanese islands in Sakishima
Gunto Group
during US landings on Okinawa (Operation
ICEBERG I)
Transferred to Leyte
for aircraft repair duties when Task Force
57
returned from
ICEBERG I.
May
Took passage to return to Manus after
ships
of Task Force 57 sailed to continue air
operations
off Sakishima
Gunto
(Operation ICEBERG II)
Deployed at Manus
for repair duties.
June
Returned to Sydney to prepare for planned
operations against Japanese
mainland by
British Pacific Fleet,
now designated Task Force 37 and attached
to US 3rd Fleet.
24th
Took
passage to Manus to provide aircraft
repair during planned operations off
Japan.
July
Aircraft repair and transport duties based
at Manus in continuation.
(Note:
Replacement aircraft required were
ferried from Sydney to Manus.)
August
Manus duties in continuation.