ARA Independencia ~ Ex HMS Warrior

HMS Warrior was sold to Argentina as ARA Independencia in 1958. Commissioned 26th January 1959, she was in service with them till stricken from Argentinean Navy list in 1971 when she was scrapped. ARA is the prefix given for ships of the Argentinean Republic Navy and stands for Armada de la Republica Argentina.

In August 2003, I received an email from Jorge Nuñez Padin who writes about Argentinean naval aviation. He explained that the ship's designation was PAL V1. PAL meaning Porta Aviones Ligero or light carrier and V1 was the pennant number. He also very kindly sent the following photograph of ARA Independencia on the day of its arrival its new homeport naval base of Puerto Belgrano, on 30th December 1958.

PAL V1 ARA Independencia entering Puerto Belgrano
30th December 1958

I was surprised, in November 2000 to receive an email from Carlos Rufino in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Carlos served on ARA Independencia as an electrician in 1964, here's what he wrote:-

I was member of the crew of the HMS Warrior, but under the Argentinian flag, and with the name ARA Independencia, during the year 1964. I only spent four years in the Argentine Navy, when I was a young man (now I'm 52 years old). The ship itself is not in service since many years ago (I think that since the end of decade of sixties) and was sold as for the value of the iron...., sad fate for a ship... But was a very nice ship and I remember that when I was in there, some light bulbs still had the sign "HMS Warrior" on it... Even a movie picture was filmed on the carrier, not a film of war, but a comedy.... (in 1966) and the name of this film was: "La muchachada dea bordo", sort of "The crew of the ship".

Publicity posters for "The Boys on Board"

The film was originally made in 1936. It was directed by Manuel Romero and starred Luis Sandrini, Tito Lusiardo, Santiago Arrieta, José Gola, Benita Puértolas, Alicia Barrié, Juan Mangiante. It was remade in 1966 with Enrique Cahen Salaberry directing and starring Carlos Balá, Leo Dan, Mariette, Fabio Zerpa, Grillito, Tito Lusiardo, Menchu Quesada, Reynaldo Mompe, Raúl Fontana, Roberto Mosca, Mauricio Monner and Ricardo Areco.

In January 2003, Carlos emailed me to say there was another film made on the ship. In 1961, Antonio Cunill directed the film "Rebelde con causa" which means "Rebel with a cause", a play on words of the 1955 James Dean film "Rebel without a cause." Carlos says it was "a comedy with, a love story, and spies...., really funny, showing the rivalry between marines and sailors, with a happy end included...:)." It starred, amongst others, Pepe Marrone, Patricia Shaw, Enrique Kossi, Héctor Gancé,  Inés Fernández and Rolando Dumas.

Publicity poster for "Rebelde con causa"

Carlos Rufino on ARA Indendencia ~ 1964

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