Built as part of a September 1938 order for 200 Spitfires, Spitfire Mk.I N3277 was flown for the first time on 5 January 1940.
After being passed to 24 Maintenance Unit on 16 January, the aircraft was assigned to No. 234 Squadron, Base RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshireon, 15 April.
The 15th August 1940 (Thursday) saw the heaviest fighting of the Battle of Britain with both sides being pushed almost to their limits.
Attacks ranged from Kent to Suffolk to east Yorkshire as well as all along the south coast.
There was also a large air battle off the Firth of Forth in Scotland.
In all, as a result of the day's operations, it is now known that the German Air Force lost seventy-six aircraft.
Fighter Command losses that day were thirty-four aircraft.
In spite of this the german's effort was only slightly less on the following day, when in three major attacks four Fighter Command airfields were heavily bombed.
On that day (15th August 1940), while on patrol N3277, flown by Pilot Officer Richard Hardy, was attacked by Messerschmitt Bf 109s of JG 53 and damaged while near the Isle of White.
After making a forced landing in Cherbourg, France, Pilot Officer Hardy became a Prisoner of War (PoW No: 3595 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan), while N3277 was quickly repaired, repainted in Luftwaffe markings, and sent to Germany for evaluation, which included the fitting of a Daimler Benz engine.
The final fate of N3277 is unrecorded.
Mike