SM845 – a low back Mk XVIII with Rolls Royce Griffon power

SM845 is an early production Mk XVIII Spitfire built at Chattis Hill in the spring of 1945 and delivered to 39MU on 30 May 1945. In December of 1945 the aircraft went to 46MU before being shipped to Karachi, arriving 11 February 1946 and being received into South East Asia Air Command on 28 February 1946.

The aircraft was transferred to the Indian Air Force on 31 December 1947 and issued with Serial No. HS687. It served in the Indian Air Force until the late 1950’s before being used as a decoy at Kalaikunda air base near Calcutta in the 1970’s.

One of eight Spitfires recovered by Duxford based Ormonde and Wensley Haydon-Baillie in 1977 it was shipped unrestored to California in 1978. It passed through two further owners and was imported to the UK partially restored by Adrian Reynard in 1988, moving to Historic Flying Limited at Audley End in 1992 for completion.

Subsequently acquired by Historic Flying Limited and the restoration completed, SM845 registered as G-BUOS made its first flight from Audley End on 7 July 2000. It currently wears the colours of 32 Squadron RAF who operated Spitfire XVIII’s in the Far East after the Second World War.

The aircraft is based at Duxford Airfield where it is operated and maintained by the Aircraft Restoration Company.