Warplanes of Australia: Supermarine Spitfire and Seafire

Supermarine Spitfires and Seafires preserved in Australia

(Supermarine Spitfire, RAAF (Serial No. A58-303), RAAF Photo)

Supermarine Spitfires were operated by the RAAF from 1941–1945. RAAF Squadrons flying Spitfires included No. 79 Squadron RAAF 1943–45, No. 85 Squadron RAAF 1943–45, No. 451 Squadron RAAF 1943–46, No. 452 Squadron RAAF 1941–45, No. 453 Squadron RAAF 1942–46, and No. 457 Squadron RAAF 1941–42 1942–45.

(Australian War Memorial Photo No. P01275.029)

Supermarine Spitfire Pilots of No. 457 Squadron receive final instructions for their flight back to Australia in October 1945.  All of the squadron's aircraft were painted with a shark's mouth, earning it the nickname the "Grey Nurse Squadron", and one of No. 457 Squadron's Spitfires near Labuan in 1945.

Supermarine Spitfires were operated by the RAAF and the RAN from 1942–1945.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Ia (Serial No. X4009), coded AZ-Q, remains are with the Hunter Fighter Collection (HFC), Scone, New South Wales.  Once restored it will be operated by Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR), on the UK register as Reg. No. G-EMET.

(Robert Frola Photos)

(Cfitzart Photos)

(Heff Gilbeert Photo)

(Phil Vabre Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire HF Mk. VIIIc (Serial No. MV239), RAAF (Serial No. A58-758), c/n 6S/581740, RG-V, “Grey Nurse”, Reg. No. VH-HET, which saw action with No. 457 Squadron RAAF in the South West Pacific Area.  MV239 is one of two Spitfires still flying in Australia, both owned by the Temora Aviation Museum, Temora, New South Wales.  It is painted in the colours of Wing Commander Robert "Bobby" Gibbes, DSO, DFC, RAAF (Serial No. A58-602), RG-V, RAF (Serial No. MV133), 80 Wing RAAF, Morotai, 1945.  Airworthy.

(David Holt Photo)

(Jeff Gilbert Photo)

(Chris Finney Photo)

(Peter Ellis Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TB863), FU-P, Reg. No. VX-XVI, Temora Aviation Museum, Temora, New South Wales.  It is painted in the colours of 453 Squadron, RAAF, as flown in the UK in 1945.  Airworthy.

 (Alec Wilson Photo)

(Chris Finney Photos)

(Fairv8 Photo)

(Chris Finney Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vc (Serial No. EE853), UP-O, RAAF (Serial No. A58-146).  South Australia Aviation Museum, Port Adelaide.  Owned by the Langdon Badger Family Trust and is located in the museum's new premises at Port Adelaide. The hangar is a Second World War PENTAD type built in 1943 and designed for Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm airfields.  The hangar was originally brought to Darwin and housed Spitfires defending that city against the Japanese.  This aircraft is displayed at The South Australian Aviation Museum, Port Adelaide, South Australia. It was manufactured in 1942 by Westlands in the UK.  It was shipped to Australia and became part of RAAF 79 Squadron at Milne Bay.  On 28 August 1943 it crashed on Kiriwina Island and was transported back to Goodenough Island. In 1971 Langdon Badger found the aircraft and in 1973 he had it shipped to Adelaide.  After four years of restoration at Parafield Airport, Langdon displayed the Spitfire at his Adelaide home.  In August 2001 the aircraft was put on display in the Museum.

(IWM Photo CH 13252)

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. IIa (Serial No. P7973). This Spitfire was flown by several Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadrons in 1941. Assigned to No. 452 Sqn (RAAF) (RAF Kenley and RAF Hornchurch). Flown by Australian pilot "Bluey" Truscott on "Circus 68", a bomber escort mission into France on 9 August 1941.  This was the mission in which famous legless RAF pilot Douglas Bader was shot down and became a P.O.W.  The aircraft has not been repainted since the Second World War, but bears the markings of the Central Gunnery School. (Coded R-H) flying 24 operations.  In July 1945 it was shipped to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia for display.  One of the few Spitfires still in its original paint, it has been displayed in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra since 1950.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vc Trop, (Serial No. BS231), RAAF (Serial No. A58-92).  Partial airframe on display at the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, Darwin, Northern Territory.  Recovered during 1983 at low-tide from wartime water crash-site, Point Charles NT.  The display incorporates parts from both (Serial No. BS178/A58-70) and (Serial No. JG731/A58-172).

(Alec Wilson Photo)

(Hugh Llewelyn Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. XXII (Serial No. PK481),  It entered service with the RAF on 3 September 1945, and served with several squadrons including 611 before being withdrawn from service in 1953.  In 1955 the Brighton & Hove branch of the RAF Association in England bought the aircraft and put it on display.  It was purchased by the RAAFA in 1959, brought to Australia and mounted on a pylon outside then RAAFA headquarters in Adelaide Terrace, Perth, as a memorial to fallen airmen.   RAAF Association of Western Australia, Aviation Heritage Museum, Bull Creek, Western Australia.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vc Trop (Serial No. BR545), RAAF (Serial No. A58-51), DL-E, ex-54 Sqn.  This aircraft force landed on mud flats at low-tide, Prince Regent River, near Truscott WA, 22 December 1943.  The wreck lay for many years covered by the tides until recovered by the RAAF Museum in November 1987. Merlin engine and sections of airframe recovered.  Royal Australian Air Force Museum, Point Cook, Victoria.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. IX (Serial No. MH603), Reg, No. VH-IXF.  Owned by Ross Pay (son of Col Pay) and registered to Pay's Air Service Pty Ltd. Ex South African Air Force (Serial No. MH603), being restored to airworthy status at Scone, NSW. When completed the Spitfire will wear 331 (Norwegian) Squadron colours as based at North Weald (UK) in early 1944.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. IXb (Serial No. MJ789), ex-453 (RAAF) Squadron fighter (Serial No. MJ789), FU-B.  This aircraft crashed in River Orne, near Caen, France on 11 June 1944 as a result of anti-aircraft fire claiming the life of pilot Flight Lieutenant Henry ‘Lacy’ Smith. Both F/L Smith and MJ789 were recovered from the riverbed in November 2010. Subsequently F/L Smith was buried with full military honours in Normandy and the wreckage of MJ789 was transferred to the RAAF Museum and transported to Australia for conservation with a view to eventual display.  In storage with the Royal Australian Air Force Museum, Point Cook, Victoria.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe, RAF (Serial No. TE392), Reg. No. VH-XWF, coded DV-A, airworthy.  This aircraft represents the personal mount of Australian ace Squadron Leader Tony Gaxe, DFC.  Archerfield, Queensland.  TE392 was previously owned by the Lone Star Flight Museum, Texas, coded ZX-Z, Reg. No. N97RW, wearing the colours of Squadron Leader Lance C. Wade, a Texan who flew with RAF No. 145 Sqn from 1940 to 1944 and went on to become an Ace.  It has been in Australia since 2018.  This aircraft is for sale by Platinum Fighters.

(Hugh Llewelyn Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire L.F. Mk. XVI replica at the Western Australian Aviation Museum.

Supermarine Seafire F Mk. XV (Serial No. SW800), Reg. No. VH-CIH.  In storage, Adelaide area, South Australia.  Recovered from Brownhills scrapyard in the UK circa 1991, and shipped to Melbourne VIC.

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