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Spitfire Number 2.
After a letter to the Royal Air Force Association in Portland Place, London, seeing if any Supermarine Spitfires were available to be purchased, a returned letter on the 29th of November, 1957 stated that the Brighton & Hove Branch of the R.A.F.A. had a suitable Spitfire for sale and that R.A.F.A. was arranging quotes for dismantling and packing and freighting the aircraft to Perth, W.A. It was not until the 27th March 1958 that another letter from London, stated that the quote they could get was still higher than the Royal Australian Air Force Association in Perth could afford. It was not until the 10th of April 1958 that a mention of writing to the Brighton & Hove Association offering to buy the Spitfire was made and requesting the condition of the aircraft, on the 21st April 1958 a return letter was received. It was stated that had they been able to mount the Spitfire like the Association in Perth intended to do, therefore they would not be selling the aircraft, but as it was only used for the Battle of Britain week once a year and the aircraft being stored outdoors the rest of the time in an area not of their ownership, the cost of moving it to and fro for this one occasion was eating up most of the money collected in that one week. It was also mentioned that storm damage to the belly of the aircraft due to it falling off trestles but was not structural but only superficial and that their insurance company had paid out monies for this damage, the price of the aircraft was being now offered at an reduced rate, an agreement to buy was reached between the two associations even though the Perth Association had never seen the aircraft.
It maybe timely to mention the fact that we have a photo showing it up for sale in 1955 in the caption, but not sold may mean that Supermarine Spitfires were not in demand. But in 1957 it was offered for sale to the R.A.A.F.A., the reason for the two years difference is not mentioned and can only be speculated on. Maybe a person from the Brighton & Hove Association can help. Even then it was not until between 1958 and 1959 that it was bought and paid for and shipped to Perth, Australia.
While the purchasing and enquires of the condition of PK481 was going on, a letter was sent on the 1st of April, 1958 c/o the Worthing Branch of the R.A.F.A. in the U.K. It was addressed to a Mr F.M. Wilcock who had been mentioned in an article in the "Air Mail'', for Jan/Feb 1958 edition that stated he had a Supermarine Spitfire MK XVI, serial SL721 that he had bought for 140 pounds, and had it on his forecourt of his Swandean Garage in Worthing, Sussex. The questions asked were how he kept his aircraft weather proofed and did he paint it or was it polished and painted with a transparent lacquer. Also did Mr Wilcock have access to any spare Spitfire parts as R.A.A.F.A. did not know if the spinner or airscrew and manifolds came with the aircraft. A return letter on the 1st of May thanked R.A.A.F.A for the letter and stated that he sprayed the inside of the aircraft with Shell Ensis Fluid 256 every two years and painted the aircraft with P.R.U. blue and service emblems once a year. This he said kept the aircraft in good condition and was recommended for PK481. As far as parts for the Spitfire go, they were in 1958 in short supply, but with his many contacts he would try if they could give him a list of what they needed. Going forward on this subject you find that all parts mentioned in the 1st of April letter came with the aircraft and no parts were needed to display it.
Mr Wilcock had built a car called the Swandean Spitfire Special out of two Daimler Scout cars and installed a Rolls Royce Merlin into it. Google the Wilcock Spitfire and the plane and car are shown.
Now comes the hard part for an Association that realises has no money to cover the dismantling of the aircraft, crating it, insuring it, delivering it to the docks in Britain, putting it on a ship to Perth, Australia, unloading it, delivering it from the docks to Perth Airport, reassembling it and delivering it to the city and putting it on an engineered pylon/ pole with council approval, what could possibly go wrong. Through contacts in Perth, a firm called W.S. Shackelton in London, England, a leading aircraft handling organisation was sent a letter on the 3rd of April 1958 asking for a quote, they offered transport at their end at cost only and it came to 259.14.0 pounds and shillings. This was still more than they had contemplated and larger than their resources. During this time an approach was made to the company Shaw Savill & Albion Co. Ltd. who ran the Shaw Savill Shipping Line. They gave the Association a discount of 50% on the freight rates, this was later changed to the Blue Star Line ship SS Queensland Star at the same discount. On the 3rd of June from the Fremantle Harbour Trust a letter offering no wharfing charges and a nominal handling charge was given.
A fund was started as the plane, delivery and final memorial needed 1000 pounds. When you need to build up your fund,this is where you use your commercial contacts, plus there is nothing like an old and frail member of your Association walking into businesses to prise monies and services from various organisations and the fact that your association looked after the welfare of ex service people to get favours from commercial enterprises. There are six A3 sheets with public donors and companies like Vickers the builder of the aircraft with 200 pounds, plus the aircraft plinth/pole and four 20mm gun barrels. Even though no Griffon engine came with the aircraft Rolls Royce provided 100 pounds. A concert was then held with Winifred Atwell a well known pianist at that time, who also gave 50 pounds and comedian Bobby Limb was the act. City of Perth added 500 pounds. By The time the fund had closed 1,158,14,3 Pounds/Shillings/Pence had been collected. The Western Australian people have always been good donators to good causes, but this time some money came from interstate as well, so it was the population of Australia that paid for the aircraft
Information was sent on the 23th of June 1958 to the Brighton & Hove Association, this letter asked for more time until finances could be arranged for the transportation of this aircraft, sent by Frank I. Purser. Now comes the Catch 22 moment , some enterprises were loathed to donate as the association did not have title, but they needed funds to get title, then if funds were available you needed to get an importation licence before monies could go overseas to pay for the aircraft and the delivery company. Eventually an importation licence was obtained and all problems disappeared. It was not until the 5th of August 1958 that a bank draft was sent to the Brighton & Hove Association also asking in writing for any other expenses that they have incurred to be sent to Perth so that they can reimburse them. A letter advising that the draft for the whole amount of money for the aircraft had arrived and no other expense would happen as the aircraft was covered by the R.A.F.A. Brightons insurance company for the next two months. The Brighton & Hove branch of the R.A.F.A. were thanked for their forbearance.
Then problems appeared on the 5th of Jan 1959 in a letter from a LT/Col Kealy, D.S.O. on Sussex Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association letter heading, concerning the parked Spitfire on their premises. Although they had given permission to park the Spitfire at their Shoreham-by-sea depot it was now getting into a derelict state and it was unsafe, particularly in respect to the cadets who clamber all over it and could the plane be removed as soon as possible. This shocked the R.A.A.F.A into corresponding to Britain about the condition of the aircraft, but letters from Brighton and also Shoreham eventually proved that the Lt/Col Kealy at this depot at Shoreham had only exaggerated the condition of the plane as it was a ruse to get the plane removed so space would be available. A letter arrived from the R.A.F.A. explaining everything and even said that they doubt if the neighbourhood even remembers that it was there. So it shows how Spitfires were not the must have aircraft that they are today.
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