As you say, Versuch, Pre war RAF type. AM dimmer on the side, cocking handle for high mounted mg and string wrapped BSA spade grip. You have the image labelled ‘Hawker’. Hart/Nimrod?
Andy, the 30s motorbike handlebar style control is harness release. Id is helped when found attached to something else!
You beat me to it Elliott, just seen!

PM sent! I’ve got this T11 de-icer bottle if it’s any use.

Yes, an impressive bit of research Jabba and a very rare yoke Nick! As well as the ex Luftwaffe switch on the right hand arm, the photo appears to show an ex Luftwaffe gyro compass above the dash. The turn and slip ball can’t have been very effective, lying on it’s side. Next to it is an American oxygen flow blinker. An international aircraft!

That was an interesting fishing trip, Caroline. The second has the spade grips attached which means it is a free mounted, rather than a wing or turret gun. It could be from the rear cockpit of of a Vengence type aircraft, or possibly a beam/side gun from something bigger: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~maav/vulteelightbox/vulteelightbox.html
There could be a part number on the front mount of the first gun, the mountings varied with aircraft types. They look a challenging clean!

My guess would be a training aircraft like a Prentice, except for the lack of a brake lever: http://www.rafjever.org/prepic033.htm
If it was a similarly shaped Spitfire or Tempest grip it would be several hundred. For a trainer, probably much less but still interesting.

Very true, Stuart. The thigh guards are staying in the out position. I tried cocking them and they pop out at knee level with quite a bang.

Regardless of the historical context, we still owe a great debt to the men and women involved. Unlike the heroes of Trafalgar, we can still personally say thank you. Thank you Tim!

I teach 11 to 18 year olds in a city comprehensive school. Some of them can identify a variety of second world war aircraft. Some of them can’t point to Scotland on a map of the UK. The time kids spend killing Nazis on computer games is probably educating them better than many teachers could and I don’t believe adding even more to a stuffed curriculum would help.
There are a couple of my colleages with an interest in military history and we all do our bit with assemblies, lessons and (hats off to Mr Carlyon) trips to Normandy and the trenches in school holidays. That said, an interest isn’t something that can be taught. How many of us are here on the forum because of an inspirational teacher?