Images Dated 26th February 2014

Hoylake mersey class lifeboat Lady of Hilbre 12-005 being washed down

Hoylake mersey class lifeboat Lady of Hilbre 12-005 being washed down by shore crew on the slipway at night.

30% of the profit from this product will be paid in support of the RNLI. Payments are made to RNLI (Sales) Ltd (which pays all its taxable profits to the RNLI, a charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland ), the Bailiwick of Jersey (14), the Isle of Man and the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Alderney, of West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ

© Nigel Millard

Burrs Mill, Bury - Italian internees, WWII - Matania

Interior view of Burrs Mill, Bury, Lancashire, a former mill and bleaching factory, which was used to intern Italian prisoners during the Second World War. The building was dilapidated, with puddles and grease on the floors, and consequently most uncomfortable for inmates, many of whom were then sent onwards to the Isle of Man. The painting is by Italian artist Fortunino Matania, who had lived in the UK since 1904, was special artist of The Sphere magazine and had painted hundreds of pictures during the First World War from the Allied point of view. Matania was briefly interned, part of the British government's Collar the lot! policy during war, but later released. It is likely that the figure standing, centre left, is him.
1940

© The Estate of Fortunino Matania / Mary Evans Picture Library

RAF Puma Mk2 Helicopter

A Royal Air Force Puma Mark 2 helicopter lands at RAF Honington, Suffolk.
The multi-million pound upgrade to the original Puma means that the Puma 2 benefits from new engines which give them 35 per cent more power and improved fuel efficiency to allow them to fly faster and twice as far as the Puma Mk1.
They also have state of the art digitised glass cockpits and upgraded LCD instruments.
The Puma Mk2 can fit into a C-17 which means that it can be transported anywhere in the world and, crucially, can be ready to deploy in support of both combat and humanitarian missions in just 4Royal Air Force Benson - Puma 2 ZJ954 & XW231 hours. The aircraft, with improved ballistic protection, is capable of carrying up to 16 fully equipped troops. Twin cargo doors and low rotor downwash make it ideal for transporting personnel and equipment in and out of confined urban environments

© Crown copyright