Greatbottom Flash(had to pause after writing that while I imagined how it got its name)is part of the Basingstoke Canal which runs from Basingstoke passed Odiham,Fleet,Aldershot,Farnborough and on towards Woking. I believe it joint the Thames eventually.
The Flash is a widened section of the canal, like a large pond. I assume it was a mooring and turning area for the working boats from the days when the canal was in use.
I always assumed the hulls had been put into the canal for trials of durability or were just surplus and used as house boats.

Janie
Sorry should have said in original post, source is ‘Those Fabulous Flying Years’ an Air Britain Publication, an excellent book.
Does say they operated on the Withernsea/Yorkshire coast.
Have seen similar info in another book I have but unable to find it at the moment,in middle of house move.

An addition to the 504 list should be 504L G-EASD that Tony Ditheridge had stored at Moat Farm. Although put together by Eastbourne Aviation in 1920 I am sure it was from wartime production surplus components.

Pathfinder. Its pretty definate that this is a PZL P23 Karas, the dark line on the wing tip you identify is one of the key features, its a hand hold. The others are the unusual tail skid, aileron shape and trim tab, remains of rear cockpit surround and wing root fairing.
This picture does raise some more questions though.
1. The writing on the reverse says that it is British and at Dinant. Could this be a mis spelling of Diamant which is in Poland, although why anyone would mistake it for British a/c there.
2. Did any Karas escape the German advance and head to France. Seems very unlikely and with only 750 mile range almost impossible I would think.
3. JDK says the picture he has is captioned “Unidentified Karas shot down during the September 1939 war. In the foreground is an aircrew body.” Does the cross mark where they buried the crew. if so why do it amongs the wreckage.
4. Is that evidence of a serial number on the fuselage just in front of the tail, or just burnt off paint.

Some Rover gas turbine air start units were being auctioned on E bay a couple of months ago, these were self contained man liftable items. I suspect they were the same things as APU’s just packaged differently.
Might be worth looking at the government surplus traders.

The Iraqi Air Force had two airworthy Gladiators up to 1949 at Mosul. Hope someone is keeping an eye out for any remains that might still exist.

In the book of Charles E Brown photographs ‘Camera Above The Clouds’ page 130 has a fantastic air to air of the prototype Victor taken on 10/7/53.
The fuselage is certainly very black with red cheat line, all the rest of the airframe is silver.
Strange that such a stunning airframe/colourscheme combination has not been published more often.

Thanks stringbag. With pictures like that I can hear a taxying Centauras in my head, without even trying.
Incidentally I went to a lecture by John Bradshaw many years ago about his search for a decent Sea Fury/Fury. Very enlightening with stories of some that he looked at with wear in the wing fold/locking mechanism, you could move the wing tip up and down.