HMS Centaur embarks men of 45 Royal Marine Commando, Ferret armoured cars of 16/5 Lancers, and RAF Belvedere helicopters for the voyage from Aden to Tanganyika.

LS pan over Aden harbour from onboard Centaur. FDCO directs a Belvedere helicopter as it lands a laden cargo platform on the flightdeck. A second lift brings in heavy equipment in a cargo net. CU pan nose to tail over Belvedere HC.1, serial XG 461, touched down on the deck, front rotor turning. LS of the two Belvederes in flight, and MS as one lands on. HA as a RAF LCM VLC 1 carrying ammunition secures outboard of a lighter LT 21, already lying alongside the carrier. MS along the flightdeck to a RAF rescue helicopter, a Bristol Sycamore, as it lifts off. The Belvederes continue air lifting equipment - HA from the island shows a crowded flightdeck with parked Fairey Gannets, a Belvedere, and a Sycamore alighting right aft. A powered pontoon approaches the carrier carrying Ferret scout cars (mostly turreted Mk 2s) and a Land Rover. More troops arrive in naval whalers - in the background is a rescue launch B 1380. Ship's crane lifts a Ferret scout car from the lighter alongside - from frame left intrudes the tail of a Sea Vixen, XJ 491. Heavily laden marines climb the accommodation ladder. More of the scout cars are lifted onboard and driven off along the deck to elevator. Marines set up their bedding on the hangar deck. Land Rover is lifted onboard. A crowded LCT approaches and more troops disembark, crossing the decks of the LCM and lighter already alongside to reach the accommodation ladder. HA from the island as ship's crane lifts cargo net onboard - the flightdeck is crowded with aircraft, including Wessex helicopters, Sea Vixen FAW 1s, Gannets, and the two Belvederes now both parked aft. A motor launch brings yet more troops to the carrier - among the boarding marines is a bearded and rather scruffy stills cameraman, presumably a representative of the press. Further sequence showing men erecting their camp beds in the hangar space - some lark about. More men come aboard. View of the port bow of Centaur lying surrounded by smallcraft - the camera-boat passes down onto the port quarter, then back up the port side to come alongside VLC 1.

Notes

Technical: some scratches and affected by mould

Summary: HMS Centaur sailed from Aden on 20/1/1964 to Dar-es-Salaam in Tanganyika to quell an army mutiny. See also ADM 3410