Description
Although originally commissioned in May 1941 and seeing action in the north Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific theatres of war, HMS Victorious was substantially refitted in the 1950s with an angled flight deck, steam catapult, modernised radar and mirror landing system, to enable her to be equipped with fast jets. Work was finally completed in January 1959 at a cost exceeding £30 million, and thus was the only ship of her class to be modernised; the rest being sold for scrap.
She subsequently served in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the far east, taking part in many NATO exercises together with other allies and was present during the Indonesian Confrontation protecting the newly created country of Malaysia against communist insurgency.
Unfortunately following a fire in the crews quarters at the end of a scheduled refit in November 1967, the Government of the day seemed the ship to be surplus to requirements, being subsequently sold for scrap just 20 months later.
