HMS Protector takes off a Royal Society expedition from the island of Tristan da Cunha, evacuated the previous year after a volcanic eruption.

Captain Graham of the Protector meets members of the Royal Society expedition as they disembark from Whirlwind on the ship's flight deck. Shots of Whirlwind alighting and taking off again as it shuttles back and forth to the island - the badge of the patrol ship's flight is a penguin standing on an ice floe. Cut to scene on Tristan da Cunha as a helicopter touches down by encampment to take on some of the expedition's gear - pan across settlement of Tristan (renamed "Edinburgh" after the Duke's visit in 1957) and small airstrip. CU of sign on one of the buildings, ROYAL SOCIETY EXPEDITION TRISTAN DA CUNHA 1962. Whirlwind flies between island and Protector lying anchored offshore. Shots of waves breaking on the rocky shore emphasise the difficulty of landing a boat. CU of foundation stone of "Prince Philip Hall", laid by the Duke of Edinburgh on 17 January, 1957. LS pan over the sea from high ground - Protector and another vessel offshore. Two marines amuse themselves, dropping stones into a volcanic vent from which smoke is still rising. General shots of coastline, settlement and volcanic features. Aerial view of "Edinburgh". MSs of administration and post office building. Interior of one of the village houses - little more than a low thatched hut. CUs of church with its simple hand-bell. Grinding stone. Hydrangea bush. Donkeys grazing. Cameraman is flown back to Protector, now underway. Scene onboard the patrol ship as Whirlwind 920 is manhandled out of the hangar, chocked up, its rotors unfolded and bolted into place. Pilot boards the helicopter, runs her up and, on a signal from the Flight Deck Officer, takes off. A crewman regards the island through binoculars. A Lieutenant studies a radar display. Operator at echo sounder. View of the island again. CU of the badge worn by one of the aircrew with FLIGHT HMS PROTECTOR and penguin design.

Notes

Technical: print affected by fungal infection resulting from storage in damp conditions

Summary: Tristan da Cunha erupted on 9 October, 1961, requiring the whole population to be temporarily evacuated. The buildings of the main settlement of Edinburgh were left intact, and the islanders' livestock, including their donkeys, were left free to roam the island. (Of the domestic animals, the cats were also left, to control vermin, but the dogs were killed off to safeguard the livestock.) In December of 1961, four vulcanologists sponsored by the Royal Society were dropped on the island from the frigate HMS Jaguar. The main part of the expedition followed early in the next year, arriving on 29 January onboard the South African frigate SAS Transvaal. After two months of biological and geological investigation the whole party was relieved by Protector on 20 March, 1962