Grand Harbour / il-Port il-Kbir / Valletta Arrived in Malta, covertly preparing for Op Musketeer. SAR Flt equipped with Dragonfly HR.3 WP502 / 983, WG720 / 984 & WG750 / 985.
Refit at HMD Portsmouth, which included a flight deck magnetic loop communications system, until c Apr 1957
1957-jul-25
Port Visit
Cherbourg to Cherbourg in company with HMS Salisbury, until 30 Jul.
1957-aug-28
Aircraft
embarked Whirlwind HAS.7 of 845 Squadron, until 21 Oct.
1958-jan-17
Deployment
departed Portland for 2nd commission deployment, having embarked 845 Squadron with its second batch of brand new Whirlwind HAS.7 on 10 Jan. After initial visits to eastern Atlantic and Caribbean, arrived Singapore on 28 Apr. The return leg completed at HMNB Portsmouth in Nov 1958.
1958-sep-8
Aircraft
Aden HarbourAccident 845 NAS Whirlwind XL833/390/A suffered engine failure while storing the ship and ditched in Aden inner harbour, 8 Sep. Airframe recovered but jettisoned next day.
1958-sep-13
Deployment
Strait of Hormuz (SN) assisted with recovery of mv Melika which had caught fire in the Straits of Hormuz after colliding with another oil tanker. Taken under tow by Bulwark and made for Muscat, escorted by Type 41 frigate HMS Puma.
1958-nov
Refit
Commando Carrier refit until 1960 at HMD Devonport, converted to first UK Commando Carrier and recommissioned on 19 Jan 1960
1960-mar-14
Deployment
Sembawang naval base departed for Far East with 42 Commando and sixteen Whirlwind HAS.7 of 848 NAS embarked. Routed via the Mediterranean, Aden and Colombo, disembarking in Singapore on 30 May 1960.
1961-apr-19
Deployment
departed for Hong Kong 19 Apr and embarked 825 NAS (transferring in from HMS Victorious air group).
1961-may-26
Aircraft
Accident Lost 848 Sq Whirlwind XM683 / T-B, when it ditched 1 nm from carrier while operating off Borneo
1961-jun-29
Deployment
Airborne insertionOperation Vantage sailed with 42 Commando Royal Marines embarked, from Karachi to support Kuwait against possible Iraqi invasion. 42 CDO was airlifted into Kuwait on 1 Jul by Whirlwinds of embarked 848 NAS. HMS Bulwark withdrew on 21 Jul.
1961-nov-21
Aircraft
Hong Kong PortAccident lost 848 Sq Whirlwind HAS.7 XN301 / M-B when it ditched during a formation landing.
1962-jan
Deployment
Cervantes IslandsExercise Tombstone amphibious assault in Cervantes area, with 42 Commando Royal Marines and 848 NAS.
refit at HMD Devonport for full conversion from Whirlwind to Wessex operation, until Dec 1963
1964-jan
Aircraft
embarked 706 Sq B Flt and 43 Commando Royal Marines to work up with Wessex HAS.1 after refit. Culminated in Exercise Sandlfy 2 assault on Libyan coast.
1964-mar-2
Aircraft
1st Scouts for Far EastKonfrontasi Landed on 16x Scout AH.1 from Middle Wallop destined for various Flights in the Far East, plus 10 Flight which had been reassigned from 651 Sq to 656 Sq (already in theatre). Arrived at Singapore during Apr.
Exercise FOTEX 65Exercise FOTEX 65 Exercising off Singapore in multi-national Naval Force
1965-oct
Refit
refit in UK, until c Mar 1966
1966-aug
Deployment
Red Sea relieved HMS Albion in Red Sea, as the Far East station carrier
1967-mar-9
Deployment
sailed from Singapore in company with HMS Fearless for assault exercise off Penang.
1967-may
Deployment
following Cultural Revolution in China, reinforced (40 Commando RM embarked) Hong Kong after rioting began. Departed 12 Jun 1967.
1967-oct
Deployment
Gulf of Aden Recommissioned in Singapore with new Ships Company, flown out from UK to support British withdrawl from Aden. Embarked a Royal Marine Commando unit as a contingency against a disruptive withdrawl, until c Apr 1968
1967-dec
Deployment
until mid Jan 1968, part of Task Force 318 to cover the British withdrawal from Aden during Operation Magister.
1968-aug
Refit
refit at HMD Portsmouth. Ships Company took accommodation in HMS Centaur until c Feb 1969.
1969-may-17
Aircraft
Accident 845 NAS Wessex HU.5 XT774/F-B crashed on deck, off Cyprus
1970-jan
Deployment
Deployed as Far East staion carrier, with 848 NAS embarked and left Singapore that Jun without a relief, leaving the Far East without a continuous amphibious capability. Returned to UK with 848 NAS by end Jul 1970.
1970-aug
Refit
refit until c Apr 1971
1970-aug-29
HMD DevonportNavy Days 1970 present (in refit) at Plymouth Navy Days 1970.
1971-may
Deployment
Departed UK for the Baltic Sea with 845 NAS embarked. Returned to UK from Mediterranean in Nov 1971 for boiler repairs.
1971-aug-28
Port Visit
HMD DevonportNavy Days 1971Ship open to visitors at Plymouth Navy Days 1971.
Accident 848 NAS Wessex HU.5 XT758/VB-B w/o 16 Jan 1976 when ditched and sank SW of Azores
1976-may
withdrawn from Service, into Reserve
1978-mar-20
Refit
Refit until c Jan1979, to cover delays in bringing Invincible class to service. Conversion at HMD Portsmouth to operate Anti-Submarine helicopters alongside those in the Commando role.
1980-jan
Aircraft
embarked 2 airframe Flight from 846 NAS, (including XT451/VL-B) for exercise in the western Atlantic, until early Apr 1980
Grand Harbour / il-Port il-Kbir / Valletta Arrived in Malta, covertly preparing for Op Musketeer. SAR Flt equipped with Dragonfly HR.3 WP502 / 983, WG720 / 984 & WG750 / 985.
Operation Musketeer Participated in Suez Canal fixed wing operations.
Cherbourg to Cherbourg in company with HMS Salisbury, until 30 Jul.
Aden Harbour Accident 845 NAS Whirlwind XL833/390/A suffered engine failure while storing the ship and ditched in Aden inner harbour, 8 Sep. Airframe recovered but jettisoned next day.
Sembawang naval base departed for Far East with 42 Commando and sixteen Whirlwind HAS.7 of 848 NAS embarked. Routed via the Mediterranean, Aden and Colombo, disembarking in Singapore on 30 May 1960.
Hong Kong Port Accident lost 848 Sq Whirlwind HAS.7 XN301 / M-B when it ditched during a formation landing.
Cervantes Islands Exercise Tombstone amphibious assault in Cervantes area, with 42 Commando Royal Marines and 848 NAS.
Pulau Tioman South China Sea 
Harland and Wolff, Belfast 
