Warplanes of the UK: Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9

The aim of this web page is to locate, identify and document Supermarine Spitfires preserved in the United Kingdom.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are by the author unless otherwise credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War in the United Kingdom would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

Supermarine Spitfires preserved in the United Kingdom by aircraft type, serial number, registration number and location:

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No. ML295), Reg. No. G-CLXB. Under restoration to fly. Originally built as an LF Mk. IXb. Delivered to 39 Maintenance Unit in 1943 and later that year, delivered to No. 411 Squadron RCAF. It was shot down on 30 July 1944 and later excavated in the 1990s. ML295 was revealed at Biggin Hill as a two-seat Spitfire being rebuilt there and took to the air post-restoration on 14 January 2022. (Wikipedia)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr.9 (Serial No. BS548). Owned by Vintage Fighter Restorations. Built as a Mk.IXb and flew in various squadrons including No. 341 Squadron RAF, with which it was flying when in was shot down in 1943. The remains were unearthed in 2012 and is being rebuilt as a two-seater.[236] Currently, the wings are with Vintage Fighter Restorations in Scone, New South Wales, while the fuselage is being restored in the UK by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo), and will fly with Vintage Fighter Restorations in Australia. (Wikipedia)

(Tim Felce Photos)

(Allen Watkin Photo)

(Simon Boddy Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Tr. 9 (Serial No. ML407), coded OU-V, Reg. No. G-LFIX, No. 485 Squadron RNZAF, Carolyn Grace, RAF Bentwaters.  Airworthy. Served with 485 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force as OU-V. Participated in Operation Overlord. Subsequently, served with 341 Squadron, Royal Air Force coded NL-D, 308 Squadron, coded ZF-R, 349 Squadron, coded GE-P, 345 Squadron, coded 2Y-A and 332 Squadron, coded AH-B. To 151 Repair Unit in April 1945 and 29 Maintenance Unit in October 1945. Sold to Vickers-Armstrongs in 1950 and converted to a two-seat trainer. Flew under Class B markings G-15-175. To Irish Air Corps in August 1951 as IAC 162. Withdrawn from service on 8 July 1960 and stored. Sold to Tony Samuelson in March 1968, then to Sir William Roberts in 1970 and Nick Grace in 1979. Restored to airworthy condition in 1985, registered G-LFIX. Owned by Carolyn Grace and as of October 2016 based at Sywell, it wears the markings it wore when serving with 485 (New Zealand) Squadron. (Wikipedia)

(Tony Hisgett Photos)

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No. PT462), Reg. No. G-CTIX, SW-A, Dragon Flight, Abergele, North Wales. Airworthy. Owned by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) and operated by Aerial Collective Duxford. It wears the markings SW-A of 253 Squadron RAF.

 (Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 in 2005, civil registered as G-CCCA, 161, painted in the markings of the Irish Air Corps.

(Martijn Geerlings Photo)

(Allen Watkin Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 in 2005, civil registered as G-CCCA, H-98 painted in the markings of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

(Carlos Menendez Photo)

(John5199 Photo)

(Carlos Menendez San Juan Photo)

(Ad Meskens Photo)

(Tim Felce Photo)

 (Alan Wilson Photo)

(Martijn Geerlings Photo)

(Aldo Bidini Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No. PV202), coded QV-I, No. 33 Squadron RAF, Reg. No. G-CCCA, Historic Flying Ltd, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Airworthy. Served with 33 Squadron, 5R-Q, then with 412 Squadron as WZ-M, later coded WZ-W. To 29 Maintenance Unite in July 1945. Sold to Vickers-Armstrongs in 1950 and converted to two-seat trainer. Carried Class B marks G-15-174. To Irish Air Corps in June 1951 as IAC 161. Flew until 1 December 1960 when withdrawn from active service due to a crack in the undercarriage strut. Became an instructional airframe. Sold to Sir William Roberts in April 1970, to Strathallan Collection in 1972. Sold in 1979 to Nick Grace, later sold to Steve Atkins. Registered G-BHGH, later re-registered G-TRIX. Subsequently, sold to Richard Parker and restored to airworthy condition, it was flown again after restoration on 23 February 1990. Sold to Rick Roberts in 1992. Following a major accident at Goodwood in April 2000, the aircraft was sold to Karel Bos / Historic Flying Limited, based at Duxford and was rebuilt. Re-registered G-CCCA. Returned to an airworthy condition as Irish Air Corps IAC 161, subsequently operated in Royal Netherlands Air Force livery as H-98. As of October 2016, airworthy marked as 5R-H. Operated by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) and Aerial Collective Duxford, based at Duxford. (Wikipedia)

(NAC Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No. PV202), coded 5-RH, No. 33 Squadron RAF, Reg. No. G-CCCA, Historic Flying Ltd, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Airworthy.

 (Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photos)

(Milan Nykodym Photo)

(Tim Felce Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No. MJ627), coded 9G-Q, No. 441 Squadron RCAF, Reg. No. G-BMSB, R.V. Aviation, Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, Biggin Hill Airport, Westerham, Kent.  Airworthy. Served with No. 441 Squadron, RCAF, coded 9G-Q. Sold in 1950 to Vickers for conversion into a two-seat trainer, carried Class B markings G-15-171. To Irish Air Corps in June 1951 as IAC 158; ground instruction airframe from April 1960. Sold to Tim Davies in February 1964, registered G-ASOZ. Sold to Maurice Bayliss in September 1976, re-registered G-BMSB. Restored to airworthy condition and flew again on 8 November 1993 marked 9G-Q. As of October 2016 owned by Warbird Experiences Ltd, based at Biggin Hill airfield. (Wikipedia)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXT, converted to Tr. 9 (Serial No. MJ444), Reg. No. G-LEGD, "Lady Luck", restored to flight status, Aero Legends, North Weald. MJ444 was built in 1943 as a single-seat Mk. IX and served with Nos. 402, 411 and 443 Squadrons RCAF. MJ444 was lost over Belgium on 13 Jan 1945 while flying with No. 443 Squadron. The pilot, F/L Hal Fairfield, managed to escape. MJ444 was discovered and salvaged in 2020. (Flypast). Restoration was completed on 6 June 2024, when it made its first post-rebuild flight. (Wikipedia)

(Tim Felce Photo)

(tataquax Photo)

(Tim Felce Photos)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No. SM520), coded KJ-I, Reg. No. G-ILDA, Steve Brooks, Goodwood. Airworthy. Repainted in 2024 to represent (Serial No. X4382), coded LO-G, No. 602 Squadron RAF. Originally built in 1944 at Castle Bromwich under construction number CBAF10164. Found in a Scrap yard in South Africa in the 1980’s and restored to airworthy condition in 2008. Owned and operated by Spitfires.com, based at Goodwood Aerodrome, West Sussex and Solent Airport, Hampshire for Spitfire experience flights and Spitfire pilot training. (Wikipedia)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No. NH341), coded DB-E, No. 411 Squadron RCAF, Reg. No. G-CICK, ARCo, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. (2-seat). Rebuilt to airworthy condition by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) (formally Historic Flying Limited) at Duxford. Restored as a two-seat Tr.9. A former No. 411 Squadron RCAF fighter, coded DB-E which it wore when in service with the squadron. (Wikipedia)

(RAF Photo)

Captain Francis S. Gabreski, U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC), in the cockpit of his Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX (Serial No. BS410), coded PK-E, while he was serving with No. 315 Squadron, Royal Air Force, at RAF Northolt, England, 1943. This airplane was shot down 13 May 1943.  It has been recovered and converted to a two-seat Tr. 9.

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No. BS410), coded PK-A, Reg. No. G-TCHI, Martin Phillips, Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar.  This aircraft is being restored at Pent Farm in Kent.  The last pilot to fly BS410 was Pilot Officer Piotr Kuryttowicz, when he crashed on 13 May 1943 on a sortie named "Ramrod 71".  He had to abandon his aircraft after his cooling system was damaged in combat.  BS410 crashed in marshland ner Occoches, northwest of Doullens in France.  Piotr was captured by the Germans, but survived the war.  It is coded as PK-A although it flew as PK-E before April 1943. The remains were recovered in 2005,[4] acquired by Martin Phillips and sent to Biggin Hill to have it rebuilt to airworthy condition. On 8 April 2022, this Spitfire made its first flight post restoration from Biggin Hill. (Wikipedia)

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. IX (Serial No. EN179), coded SZ-J, Reg. No. G-TCHO, Martin Phillips, Exeter.  This aircraft is being converted to a two-seat Tr. 9 configuration at Vintage Aero Ltd., Pent Farm, Kent.  EN179 was flown by Polish pilots during the war, serving with No. 315, then No. 306 Squadrons before moving to No. 316 Squadron, coded SZ-J, named "Jasia" and flown by Flight Liuetenant Wladyslaw Gnys.  The aircraft was passed to Sgt Antoni Murkowski, but was being flown by Flying Officer Andrzej Prochnicki when he was shot down by Focke-Wulf Fw 190s over Naurs in France on 19 Aug 1943.

(Dave Miller Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9 (Serial No, MJ772), coded NL-R, Reg. No. G-AVAV.  This aircraft was built as a Mk. IX in 1943, served with No. 341 Squadron as MJ772, NL-W, then with No. 340 Squadron as MJ772, GW-A.  It was sold to Vickers-Armstrongs in 1950, and converted to a two-seat trainer.  It carried Class B markings G-15-172.  It then went to the Irish Air Corps in May 1951 as 159.  It was withdrawn from flying in 1960. MJ772 was sold to Film Aviation Services in November 1963 and stored at Biggin Hill.  It was then sold to COGEA, Belgium in May 1964 and stored at Ostend Airport.  Sold to Tony Samuelson in 1965 and registered G-AVAV in November 1966.  Restored to airworthy condition in July 1967.  Leased to Spitfire Productions Ltd for use in the film Battle of Britain.   A forced landing was made at Little Staughton on 9 July 1968 due to engine failure, but it was subsequently returned to flying condition. Later sold to Sir William Roberts and displayed as part of the Strathallan Collection, coded MJ772, NL-R.  It was sold to Doug Champlin of Enid, Arizona, Reg. No. N8R.  Later registered in Germany as D-FMKN.  It suffered off-airport landing in a field near Woodchurch, Kent in the UK on 7 September 2015.  The pilot was uninjured.  MJ772 is awaiting repairs and is currently stored at Biggin Hill.

(Dave Miller Photos)

Supermarine 361 Spitfire Mk. IX (Serial No. TE308), previously flown as Reg. No. N308WK, William S. Greenwood, of Aspen, Colorado. This aircraft is a two-seat variant, with previous service with the Irish Air Force.  It is currenly udergoing restoration to flight condition at the Biggin Hill Heritage hangar in South East London.  Built in 1944 it did not fly on operations during the war.  It was previously registered in Canada as CF-RAF and in the USA as Reg. No. N92477. Initially allocated to 33 Maintenance Unit, then to 29 Maintenance Unit. Sold to Vickers-Armstrongs in July 1950. Converted to a two-seat trainer. Flew under Class B markings G-15-176. To Irish Air Corps in July 1951 as IAC 163. Wheels-up landing on delivery at Baldonnel Airfield on 30 July. Withdrawn from service 9 September 1961. Sold to Tony Samuelson in April 1968, registered G-AWGB. Restored to flying condition in a month. Appeared in the movie Battle of Britain and was also used for aerial filming where a camera was placed in the front cockpit allowing 'through the windscreen' shots to be captured, many of which appear in the film. Sold to Sir William Roberts in April 1970 then sold to Don Plumb in July. Registered CF-RAF. Reconverted to single-seater in 1973. Sold to Thomas Watson and registered N92477. Sold to Woodson K. Woods and reconverted to two-seater in 1979, re-registered N308WK. Sold to Bill Greenwood in 1983. Suffered an accident at Galveston, Texas on 26 April 2008. As of October 2016, under restoration to airworthy condition by QG Aviation. Its US civil register of N308WK was cancelled and was sold to the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in 2019. The Spitfire flew again in August 2020 in the markings of No. 457 Squadron RAAF. (Wikipedia)

(Oren Rozen Photos)

Supermarine Spitfire Tr. 9, RAF (Serial No. MH367), (ZK-WDQ).  Previoously owned by noted aerobatic pilot Doug Brooker and arrived in New Zealand on 11 September 2008.  It wears RAF desert colours with the markings of FL-A, a Mk. IX flown by New Zealand Squadron Leader Colin Gray, C/O of No. 81 Squadron, RAF, when based in Tunisia in mid-1943.  On 15 January 2009, during a transit flight from Auckland, the Spitfire suffered a heavy forced landing on Hood Aerodrome, near Masterton.  The propeller, undercarriage and some fuel lines were damaged but the aircraft was repaired.  A second landing accident at Ardmore Airport on 2 December 2009 resulted in damage to the undercarriage and propeller.  It is believed that a sudden change in wind direction caused the aircraft to run off the end of the runway.  On 12 June 2011 the aircraft suffered yet another landing accident, this time tipping onto its nose after landing at Ardmore, damaging the propeller. Transferred to the UK on 13 Nov 2024, Ultimate Warbird Flights at Sywell, Northamptonshire

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