Soldiers of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and the Lancashire Fusiliers being evacuated from Trieste to Malta on the light carrier HMS Centaur, and the frigate HMS Whirlwind.

Reel One. Trieste. LA from the quayside to HMS Centaur alongside - kitbags are unloaded from a lorry, either into cargo nets or stacked neatly in slings, to be taken up by the ship's crane. Two men clean a small section of the carrier's hull - possibly removing graffito. Sentries patrol the quayside. Ammunition is unloaded from a truck. Senior officers confer. Troops of the Loyal Regiment begin boarding the carrier - they are heavily laden with personal kit, their arms and ammunition. A Bedford QL is lifted onto the flightdeck, supported on a section of steel netting suspended from slings. More troops embark, and another lorry is loaded, followed by a jeep. A detachment of troops marches along the quayside and falls in for a check that all weapons are safe before boarding. A laden trailer is lifted onto the carrier. A detachment of Lancashire Fusiliers embark, watched by a small party of sailors. LS along Centaur's flightdeck, where jeeps and a Dragonfly helicopter are parked aft. General LSs of Centaur and the frigate HMS Whirlwind (F.187) lying alongside. More troops go onboard the carrier - these are Loyals. Another detachment, to be embarked on the Whirlwind, waits on the quayside to be addressed by the ship's CO, a Lieutenant-Commander. As the men file onboard they are each issued with a canvas camp bed - each already has a blanket with his kit. Whirlwind has a stage over the side for cleaning ship - one man washes down the lower boom. Sequence showing further loading of vehicles and embarkation of troops (Fusiliers) onto Centaur. Sequence shot in the interior of Centaur's hangar deck, where troops sit on chairs, their kit spread out on the deck. HAs over the flightdeck where a Dragonfly helicopter and jeeps and Land Rovers are parked forward, and lorries, mainly Bedford OYDs and QLs, are parked aft. A harbour crane lifts a 15-cwt Bedford MWC water tanker onto the carrier. Reel Two + Three. Malta. Barge of the C-in-C Mediterranean approaches Custom Steps and General Sir John Winterton, ex-GOC Trieste, comes ashore with Major-General Daunt, GOC Malta. General Winterton inspects a detachment of the Loyals. Cut to LCM(7) L.7042 as it comes alongside at Pinto - soldiers of the Lancashire Fusiliers disembark and board waiting trucks. Sequence showing Generals Winterton and Daunt visiting HMS Whirlwind at Malta.

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