1 9 4 3
July
3rd Commissioned as USS GLACIER.
30th Build completion by US Navy Yard Puget Sound..
(Note : Changes required prior to US Navy use including radar
equipment were carried out after
build work at Seattle was finished .
31st De-commissioned by US Navy
August
1st Formal transfer to Royal Navy
Passage to RCN Dockyard
at Esquimalt for modifications to suit RN
use as an Escort Carrier.
September Under modification.
October RCN dockyard
work in continuation.
28th On completion of
modifications commissioned for RN service as HMS ATHELING.
November Carried
out sea trials in shakedown off Esquimalt.
December Prepared
for ocean passage to New York via Panama
6th Transit of Panama
Canal.
Passage
to New York
22nd Arrived at New York.
(Note:
12 CORSAIR aircraft were embarked for transport to UK and destined for 1836
Squadron. Place of embarkation to be investigated.).
1 9 4 4
January
1st Passage to UK
(Note: Identity
of convoy joined to be investigated.)
10th Arrived in Clyde
(Note : Date and place of Disembarkation of aircraft to be
investigated..)
Under
modification for use as a Fighter Carrier
February Under modification
26th Embarked BARRACUDA and CORSAIR aircraft embarked for
transport to Eastern Fleet.
March
3rd Joined Convoy KMF29 during passage from Liverpool.
17th Detached from KMF29A on arrival in Port Said.
23rd Transit of Suez Canal.
28th Joined Convoy AJ2 at Aden for passage to Colombo.
April
9th Joined Convoy JC34A for passage from Colombo to Madras.
11th Landed aircraft.
16th Joined Convoy CJ343A for passage from Madras to Colombo.
May
2nd Joined HM Escort
Aircraft. Carriers, BEGUM and SHAH at Trincomalee
Prepared
for Fleet service
13th Embarked 899 Squadron SEAFIRE aircraft
and personnel together with 1383 CORSAIR
aircraft and personnel.
Nominated for support of planned Fleet operation.
Deployed with HM Fleet Aircraft Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS for
trials in use of Multi-carrier
operations to allow use as 'Spare Deck' in the event of
damage during enemy attacks.
((Note :This operation established that speed was insufficient
for this type of carrier to
be used for Fleet operations as a 'Spare Deck').
June Deployed
with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS for diversion operation during US attacks in
the Marianas (Operation COUNCILLOR –an element of US Operation FORAGER).
11th Carried out
attacks with HMS ILLUSTRIOUS on targets at Sabang, Sumatra.
to
13th
July Nominated
for deployment to provide convoy defence and anti-submarine search operations
in the Indian Ocean.
21st Embarked 818
Squadron SWORDFISH aircraft and personnel.
Deployed for convoy defence.
August Convoy defence service in
continuation
Nominated for transfer of 818 Squadron CORSAIR aircraft and
personnel to South Africa.
21st Sailed from Trincomalee with aircraft and personnel
embarked.
(Note : This deployment may have been made in response to
known increase in U-Boat
activity in the South Atlantic and southern Indian Ocean. See WAR WITH JAPAN
(HMSO)
September
2nd Called at Mauritius
12th Arrived at Cape Town and disembarked
aircraft and personnel.
Re-embarkation
of 818 Squadron to be confirmed
Too passage to Cochin.
October
6th Disembarked 818 Squadron aircraft and
personnel.
10th Arrived at Trincomalee.
Nominated for
further service as Ferry Carrier for Eastern Fleet
(Note : Pennant Number R304 was allocated for visual
signalling purposes to
conform with US Navy identity for warships of this type.)
November Deployed for ferry duties.
December Transferred on loan for detached
service on loan to US Navy for transport of aircraft
required for support of operations in SW Pacific.
8th Took passage to Sydney.
1 9 4 5
January Deployed
for ferry duties as required by US Navy
February
4th Arrived at British Pacific Fleet
Forward Base at Manus, Admiralty Islands.
15th Arrived at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
March US
Navy detached service in continuation
to Service in Pacific to be confirmed
July
August
15th End of hostilities
against Japan.
Passage
to Norfolk Va on termination of Loan
Service to be confirmed
23rd Arrived at Norfolk Navy Yard
Took
passage Plymouth
September
3rd Called at Trinidad.
16th Arrived in Plymouth
Nominated for service as a troopship.
Taken in hand for conversion to suit new role.