Timeline
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Jul 12, 1943 | |
| May 30, 1944 | Yard No. 1280 |
| Apr 22, 1947 | at Harland and Wolff, Belfast |
| Sep 17, 1953 | after at least a two year suspension of work, post-WWII, deck letter L |
| Nov 1953 | HMD Portsmouth widening flight deck amidships and installing painted angled flight deck and equipment, until Apr 1954. Deck letter C Dockyard |
| Dec 18, 1954 | Dragonfly WH991 assigned as Centaur SAR Flt until May 1955. |
| Jan 1956 | departed UK for a 5 month Far East deployment, returned to HMD Devonport in May 1956. |
| May 1956 | 3 month refit at HMD Devonport, including steam catapult fit, until Aug 1956 |
| Sep 1956 | until 1958 at HMD Devonport to turn painted on angled deck into a real angled deck |
| Nov 1958 | Dragonfly HR.5 WG709 to Ships SAR Flt as /977-C, until c Jun 1960. |
| Jan 1959 | Dragonfly VX597 assigned to Centaur SAR Flt until c Mar 1959. |
| Jan 8, 1959 | embarked Dragonfly HR.3 WG725 for a week or so of trials. |
| Jan 30, 1959 | Whirlwind XL837, 845 Sq/392 /C ditched and sank off Malta, while operating from HMS Centaur Accident |
| Feb 25, 1959 |  off Gozo Whirlwind XK945, 845 Sq/397 /J ditched and sank 4nm S of Gozo, while operating from HMS Centaur on 25 Feb 1959. Accident |
| Dec 1959 | visited Brisbane, Sydney - Australia |
| Jun 1960 | assigned Dragonfly HR.5 WP495/978 as SAR Flt, until c Aug 1960 |
| Aug 1960 | at HMD Portsmouth until c Jan 1961, to prepare for faster and heavier carrier-borne fighters. |
| Mar 1961 | Whirlwinds of 824 NAS assigned until May 1963 |
| Apr 1961 | departed HMNB Portsmouth in early Apr for 13 month Indian Ocean and Far East deployment. Returned 16 May 1962. |
| Apr 20, 1961 | off Malta Whirlwind HAS.7 XN303/333-C of 824 NAS ditched and sank off Malta. Accident |
| Jun 25, 1961 | ordered from Gibraltar to stand by off Aden, in support of Operation Vantage (off Kuwait). |
| Jul 31, 1961 | Ordered off Kuwait (from Aden) to assist during a period of international tension, relieving HMS Victorious on 31 Jul. Withdrew 24 Aug. Operation Vantage |
| Nov 1961 | joined HMS Victorious in Nov, eventually relieving her, until c Jan 1962. Mombasa Flood Relief Operations |
| Jan 30, 1962 |  off Pulau Aur lost Whirlwind HAS.7 XN362/335-V of 824 NAS shortly after take-off. Ditched and sank. Accident |
| Mar 10, 1962 | Whirlwind HAS.7 XN381/334-V of 824 NAS ditched and sank at northern end of Malacca Strait. Accident |
| Mar 27, 1962 |  Aden Harbour relieved by HMS Ark Royal in Aden as East of Suez carrier. Returned via Malta for a fortnight maintenance period, to HMNB Portsmouth and arrived on 16 May 1962. Aden |
| May 5, 1962 | Whirlwind HAS.7 XN379/336-C of 824 NAS lost off Malta. Accident |
| Aug 1962 | operating off Portugal with HMS Hermes, USS Enterprise and USS Forrestal during, Exercise RipTide II. Exercise Rip Tide II |
| Nov 19, 1962 | Major steam leak in one of boiler rooms, with fatalities, while operating in the Irish Sea. Made for HMD Portsmouth for repair. Accident |
| Feb 1963 | Departed UK for short Far East deployment, with 815 NAS embarked. Returned to Portsmouth May 1963. |
| Apr 25, 1963 | Whirlwind HAS.7 XL872/335-C of 824 NAS lost in Indian Ocean, S of Mogadishu. Accident |
| May 1963 | improvements at HMD Portsmouth to air surveillance and air defence operations, until c Oct. air search radar Type 965 |
| Sep 26, 1963 | While alongside in HMNB Portsmouth, fire developed in fuel system. Accident |
| Oct 18, 1963 | While alongside in HMNB Portsmouth, was hit by HM Submarine Porpoise. Minor damage to both vessels. Accident |
| Dec 21, 1963 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 12 month Far East deployment, including several months around Singapore waters. 815 NAS Wessex embarked. Relieved by HMS Eagle and arrived back at Portsmouth 21 Dec 1964. |
| Jan 4, 1964 | Aden Harbour provided a detachment of 4 Wessex HAS.1 from 815 NAS for the Radfan clearance tasks. Operation Nutcracker |
| Jan 21, 1964 |  Dar-es-Salaam Harbour sailed from Aden for Dar es Salaam with 2x 26 Squadron Belvedere HC.1, 45 Commando RM and 16/5 Lancers embarked, joining with HMS Rhyl, to assist in putting down East African mutinies. Relieved in theatre by HMS Victorious in Feb, HMS Centaur eventually returned to the Gulf of Aden in May, via Singapore. East African Mutinies |
| Feb 21, 1964 | lost 815 Sq Wessex HAS.1 XM873/302-C when crashed into Wadi Misrah, near Al Habilayn, north of Aden. Accident |
| Apr 16, 1964 | lost 815 Sq Wessex HAS.1 XP148/306-C when ditched and sank off Aden. Accident |
| May 14, 1964 | Aden Harbour departed Singapore for Aden with reinforcing Belvedere for 26 Squadron and replacement Wessex (collected from units at Singapore) for 815 NAS to repair en route and in the UK. Arrived back in UK on 21 Dec. Operation Flamingo |
| Sep 5, 1964 | Wessex HAS.1 815 Sq XM869/305-C suffered engine failure and ditched into the South China Sea on 5 Sep 1964 off Singapore Accident |
| Sep 18, 1964 | while operating in South China Sea off Malaya, 815 NAS Wessex HAS.1 XP106/300-C ditched and sank following a gearbox fire on 18 Sep 1964 Accident |
| Oct 1964 | Whirlwind HAS.7 XK912 assigned as SAR Flt / 977-C until c Sep 1965 |
| Nov 3, 1964 | off Tanjung Sedili Whirlwind HAS.7 XL844/977 of Ships SAR Flt ditched and lost in South China Sea on 3 Nov 1964 Accident |
| Apr 1965 | Final deployment, to the Mediterranean, returning to UK in Jul 1965 |
| 1966 | role changed to accommodation ship at HMD Devonport, for crews whose carrier was undergoing refit. |
| Aug 1968 | accommodation ship for refit of HMS Bulwark until c Feb 1969. |
| Apr 24, 1970 | |
| Aug 11, 1972 | Cairnryan sold for scrap to Queenborough Shipbreaking on 11 Aug and subsequently towed to Cairnryan for scrapping. Breakers Yard |