Henderson's assurance that HMS Unicorn would be a forward aviation support ship is recalled with deliberate irony. He is said to have pledged his honour as a Royal Navy officer that she would not be an aircraft carrier. Her design is then identified as a template for the light fleet carriers. The anecdote concerns the way her role was presented and her influence on later construction, rather than establishing a formal ruling about every use of the ship.
Notable Point · 1:13:29-1:14:06
HMS Unicorn linked aviation support with carrier development
HMS Unicorn was described as a forward aviation support ship, yet her design also influenced the light fleet carriers.