In this selection you will see a pet baby fox on board, the mascot of one of the minesweepers, crew members relaxing in their cabin during World War Two in March 1941, a crewman sending a message on a heliograph, crew working out below decks with an improvised punch bag, a paddle steamer which was repurposed as a minesweeper in 1940 and loading the gun on a Royal Navy minesweeper in 1941. All images: Getty Images
![Members of the crew aboard a paddle steamer which has been repurposed as a minesweeper during World War II, circa 1940. To the left of the image, one of the crew members stands on a paravane, a device used to destroy naval mines and submarines. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmNiMTBhNzBlLWZjNmItNDI5My05NGU3LTNiODM5OTEwOGNiODplZDgzNWYyNC01MTA3LTQyNjYtOTJlZi02NDg0ZDA3OTg0Mzg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
25. Minesweeper crew from the past
Members of the crew aboard a paddle steamer which has been repurposed as a minesweeper during World War II, circa 1940. To the left of the image, one of the crew members stands on a paravane, a device used to destroy naval mines and submarines. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photo: Fox Photos