A legendary 1944 Supermarine Spitfire XIVe—one of the war’s most celebrated fighter planes—just hit the market, giving collectors a shot at owning a genuine slice of aviation history. This bird’s got stories to tell.
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Serial number RM747? Yeah, it saw action with multiple Allied squadrons when the war was winding down. First assigned to the Dutch 322 Squadron in August ’44, it didn’t stick around long before the Belgians in 350 Squadron grabbed it, flying defensive patrols from Hawkinge to smash incoming V-1 buzz bombs. Flight Officer Verpoorten took her up on her first “Diver” mission on August 13th. Not long after, the squadron was escorting bombers over St. Omer—her last recorded sortie with them.
Took some hits in early September ’44, sure, but nothing a little elbow grease couldn’t fix. After a rebuild, she was back in the air by March ’45, this time with the Aussies in 451 Squadron, part of the occupation forces in Germany. Then came storage in the UK, a sale to Vickers Armstrong, a brief stint with a civilian reg, and finally service in Thailand under new colors.
Decades later, salvaged from a Thai field, RM747 made its way to New Zealand, then back to Britain where it’s sitting now. The deal includes the original fuselage, whatever’s left of the frame, and fresh parts shaped using OG Spitfire jigs.
No frills, no promises—just a chance to own a war hero, still carrying the scars of its past. If you’ve got the cash and the passion, this is the kind of artifact that doesn’t come around twice.
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