TE 384

Hi, I was very pleased to have read this. I was living in Australia from 1978-1992 and I was instrumental in getting the Spitfire ( TE384) from Hockey Treloar up on a truck, along with a Dart powered Mustang P51-D, to Toowoomba.
I knew Barry Hempel from being a regular user of his aircraft and flatted with a mutual friend of Hockey Treloar, Bill Smith, who had been responsible for looking after Hockey’s Spit, Mustang and Walrus. ( The Walrus was in flying condition and now on display at Hendon. It was originally swapped by Hockey Treloar for TE 384. An amusing sidenote is, that the Walrus was painted in camouflage colours before leaving Australia and the only reference that Bill Smith had to go by was his son, Peter’s, Matchbox toy of a Walrus. THe Walrus was then painted in the same layout!)
I have video footage of the arrival and unpacking of the Merlin in all its protective grease and spares, plus the wings and fuselage.