HMS IMPLACABLE

A short ;ife for this one. Entered service August 1944, deomm'ed just 10 years later in 1954 & scrapped the following year. Just 10 years start to finish, don't think major war damage was the reason for a short life

Ensign at half mast, Port Bower cock a bill ??? lower deck cleared, entering harbour with dead onboard ??

When you look closer, I don't think she has her ensign at half mast, it's actually flying proudly at full mast and is an optical illusion with the angle of the photo coinciding with the after starboard aircraft safety boom, especially when you gauge what the height of her ensign post would be at this angle. While she was involved in repatriating many Allied ex-POWs to Sydney and various Far East ports in late 1945, here I think she is arriving Melbourne in March 1946, with, by the large propellers, what appear to be 'Firefly' aircraft on her stern and, as you can see by closely looking at the masthead, under the flag of Vice Admiral Sir Phillip Vian, (of HMS Cossack/Altmark fame), accompanied at the time by another carrier HMS Glory.
Beautiful clear photo of her, thanks again, threebs
Regards (Thumb)

Lovely image.

I think she was retired early due to her small hangar space - especially height (Implacable was only14' with a fleet requirement of 17'6&quot coupled to the huge amounts of cash required to remedy the shortfall to allow her to carry larger and heavier jet aircraft (20,000 lbs in Implacable versus a fleet requirement of 36,000lbs).

According to 'Rebuilding the Royal Navy' (D. Brown & George Moore) she was due to be refitted under the same programme as HMS Victorious, with work due to start at Devonport in April 1953, but after delays and cost overruns to Victorious this plan was cancelled and she was identified for decommission and sale.