the end of July 1983. In early September 1983, HMS Hydra returned to Scottish waters and began surveys to the west of the Outer Hebrides for a proposed deep draught shipping route. The ship returned to Devonport on 21 October to prepare for a deployment to the Indian Ocean. Final years - 1984–1986 HMS Hydra sailed on 14 November 1983 via Gibraltar, Naples and the Suez Canal for her first survey off the north coast of Oman. Christmas 1983 was spent at Dubai. of surveys were completed before the ship broke off for passage to Mombasa for a period of assisted maintenance. Boat surveys of Mombasa harbour were carried out. Sailing north to the Red Sea, a brief call was made at Hodeida, in the Yemen Arab Republic, before passage north to the Suez Canal and through to the Mediterranean Sea. A visit was made to Haifa and then the ship called at Gibraltar before conducting a short examination of the Chaucer Bank before returning to Devonport in mid-April 1984. The remainder of 1984 was spent surveying between St Kilda and Barra, off the west coast of Scotland, with a short period on oceanographic work in northern waters. A detached party carried out a boat survey of Loch Melfort. She spent the early part of 1985 continuing a survey of the Sea of the Hebrides. On 10 September 1985 she sailed from Devonport to continue surveys in Kenyan waters, which she had started in 1984, and this work continued until January 1986. In mid-January she was ordered to proceed to assist with the evacuation of expatriates from the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. She assisted with the evacuation of 49 civilians before being released for the homeward passage to the United Kingdom. She arrived in Devonport on 27 February 1986 wearing her paying-off pennant. She was decommissioned and put on the disposal list on 31 March 1986. Honours HMS Hydra added a seventh Battle Honour – South Atlantic 1982 – to her name. From September 1981, her ship's company of 120 changed little for a year, notably the addition of wartime medical staff in April 1982. All the ship's company involved in Operation Corporate in 1982 were awarded the South Atlantic Medal, with rosette, engraved with their rank, name and ship's name. References Further reading "Report by the Hydrographer of the Navy" for the years 1966–1986. UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO)