Royal Canadian Navy Aircraft Carrier, HMCS Warrior (R31)

HMCS Warrior (R31)

(George Crewe Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31).

Built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, she was originally to be called HMS Brave; the Royal Navy had originally intended to rush her into service for operations in the Indian Ocean during  the Second World War, thus she was built without heaters for some onboard equipment since heat was unnecessary in tropical operations.  She was launched on 20 May 1944 and completed on 24 January 1946. She was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy, commissioned as HMCS Warrior and placed under the command of Captain Frank Houghton, and served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1946 to 1948.   She entered Halifax harbour on 31 March 1946, a week after leaving Portsmouth.  The RCN experienced problems with the unheated equipment during operations in cold North Atlantic waters off eastern Canada during 1947.  The RCN deemed her unfit for service and, rather than retrofit her with equipment heaters, made arrangements with the Royal Navy to trade her for a more suitable aircraft carrier of the Majestic class which became HMCS Magnificent (CVL 21) on commissioning.  HMCS Warrior returned to the United Kingdom and was recommissioned as HMS Warrior (R31) on 23 March 1948, serving the RN from 1948 to 1958.  In 1957 she was headquarters ship for Britain’s atom bomb tests on Christmas Island.  She was sold to the Argentine Navy serving from 1959 to 1969 as ARA Independencia (V-1).  She was scrapped in 1971.

(RCN Photo)

HMS Warrior, previously HMCS Warrior, a Colossus class light fleet aircraft carrier, off Gibraltar in the 1950s.

(City of Vancouver Archives Photo CBVA 1184-3461)

HMCS Warrior passing under the Lions Gate Bridge, British Columbia, ca 1947.

(Lt VS Curry Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31), Supermarine Seafire warming up on deck ahead of a flight of with Fairey Firefly fighters.

(James A. Senior Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31), with a pair of Fairey Firefly fighters warming up.

(James A. Senior Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31), with Fairey Firefly.

(George Crewe Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31), with Fairey Firefly preparing to lower wings for launch.

(George Crewe Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31), with Fairey Firefly wings lowered and ready for launch.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4820989)

HMCS Warrior (R31), with Fairey Firefly warming up on deck.

(James A. Senior Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31), aerial view, ca 1947.

(Lt VS Curry Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31), ca 1947.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, PA129207)

HMCS Warrior (R31).

(Shearwater Aviation Museum Photo)

HMCS Warrior (R31).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3198949)

HMCS Warrior, broadside view taken from shore, after the aircraft carrier ran aground, 14:30 hours, 23 August 1946. Original Toronto Star caption: Eight hours after Canada's flattop; HMCS Warrior ran aground on a mudbank in the St. Lawrence river; the ship was refloated and sailed to Quebec. The ship ran aground when trouble developed in its steering apparatus. The recently launched Canada aircraft carrier was an route to Montreal but returned to Quebec city after it was freed.

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