RR232 was built in Castle Bromwich by Vickers Armstrong and delivered to the RAF in October 1944 as an HF.IX high altitude fighter where it was allocated to an anti-aircraft co-operation Squadron. It was then sold to the South African Air Force (SAAF) in 1948 with designation ’5632' and was last flown there by Lt. Ron Beamish of 2 Sqdn.It was then stored derelict at Salt River after being ground looped in 1954. In 1976 it was bought by Australian collector Peter Sledge and restored to static display standard. Spitfire RR232 finally made it back to Britain in 1986 when purchased by Charles Church, who in turn sold the airframe to Jim Pearce of Sussex Spraying Services. But it was not until 2001 that current owner Martin Phillips bought the aircraft and began a full restoration to airworthy condition that would take nearly 13 years.
With a fully rebuilt Merlin engine installed in December 2012 Spitfire RR232 took to the skies again, becoming the last aircraft to be assembled at Filton Aerodrome.
