Spitfire Aces - A Ring Crafted From History

“The Spitfire Aces” BR601 Propeller Wood Ring

Few machines embody courage, elegance and resilience quite like the Supermarine Spitfire. More than an aircraft, it became a symbol of hope during the darkest days of World War II, a beacon of freedom in the skies. The Spitfire has become one of the most recognisable and celebrated aircraft in the world, with its distinctive silhouette.

The Spitfire BR601 Ring is a tribute not only to this remarkable plane but also to the extraordinary men who flew her. Authentic propeller wood from Spitfire BR601 forms the outside of the ring, with two parallel sterling silver inlays flashing through the design. The propeller wood is birch and so for the ring liner we have used more sustainably sourced birch wood for strength. The ring carries both history and meaning in every detail, this ring has a lot of stories to tell.

BR601 taxiying, July 1942 - Pilot Stefania Wojtulanis

The Story of BR601

Spitfire BR601 was one of the earliest Mk IX models, built in 1942 as an answer to the Luftwaffe’s formidable Focke-Wulf 190. She flew more than 100 missions across squadrons in Britain and abroad, her wings bearing witness to some of the fiercest aerial combat of the war.

Among the many pilots who took BR601 to the skies were two celebrated aces:

Tony Gaze, an Australian who recorded 12½ victories, later becoming a Formula One driver.

Colin Gray, New Zealand’s top ace, credited with 27½ victories and remembered as one of the Commonwealth’s most skilled fighter pilots.

To be an ace in ww2 five aerial victories was considered to be the minimum requirement, to achieve this took great skill, bravery and most probably a little luck. The aerial combat was so dangerous that the average life expectancy of a spitfire pilot during The Battle of Britain was only 4 weeks. Over the course of WW2 the RAF lost a staggering 60% of all airmen to death, injury or capture.

Below is some of the known history of BR601’s movements -

• BR601 was the sixth Spitfire Mk.IX, built at Southampton during 1942.

• First flight at Eastleigh, 16 June 1942.

• Flown to 45 MU at Kinloss the next day.

• 9 July, ferried by Polish ATA pilot Stefania Wojtulanis from Prestwick to Hornchurch, arriving 11 July.

• Allotted to 64 Squadron, (first unit to receive Mk.IXs) First ops flown with Mk.IXs on 28 July.

• 21 October 1942, Sqdn Ldr Colin Gray suffered a burst tyre on landing, resulting in undercarriage collapse and wing damage.

• Repaired at 39 MU and issued to 453 (Australian) Squadron 2 April 1943.

• 17 July 1943, issued to 129 (Mysore) Squadron, again at Hornchurch.

• 28 August 1943, reallocated to 316 (City of Warsaw Squadron, a Polish Squadron based at RAF Northolt.

• 28 September 1943, placed on charge with 165 (Ceylon) Squadron at Culmhead, moving to Colerne later that month.

• 19 March 1944, under repair again at Air Service Training, and repaired again at 8 MU on 29 August.

• 27 February 1945, sent to Vickers Armstrongs for modifications, going into storage at Lyneham with 33 MU

• 27 January 1949, shipped to South Africa on board SS Clan Mackellar, arriving 13 March.

• 16 March 1951, now serialed 5631, issued to the Air Operation School at Langebaanweg Air Base, suffering three landing accidents and being relegated to a ground instructional airframe with 7 Squadron.

• 10 March 1955, sold to scrap merchants, South African Metal & Machinery Co, Salt River, Cape Town.

• Restored by apprentices from the Atlas Aircraft Corporation for static display on a pole in the scrap yard. Placed on display in 1976.

• Sold to Doug Arnold in 1986 for £70,000 and stored at Biggin Hill.

• 1994, sold to Jet Cap aviation and moved to Bartow, Florida where it remained untouched.

• Transported to the Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, Texas.

• Acquired by Jeff Thomas in January 2008 and sent to Avspecs at Ardmore, New Zealand.

• 29 July 2009, acquired by Peter Monk, and fully restored for the Collings Foundation, Stow, Massachusetts, USA

• First flight after restoration 31st August 2016.

The Silver Inlays: Honoring the Aces

Running along one edge of the ring are two parallel sterling silver inlays. They shine not only as a nod to the glint of spitfire wings soaring into the sunlight, but as a tribute to the two aces who gave BR601 her legacy.

Each band of silver represents a ww2 ace, Tony Gaze and Colin Gray. Just as the inlays run side by side, so too do the wartime stories of these brave men, bound by the aircraft they flew and the victories they earned.

It is a reminder that history is not only built by machines, but by the men who dared to climb into them.

Why I Created This Ring

As a craftsman and a student of WWII history, I’ve always been drawn to the Spitfire, not only for its iconic design and engineering but also for the important role it played in the defence of the allied nations. The sound of a Merlin engine, the graceful curve of a wing and the fascinating stories told by those who flew them, all come together to cement its place in history.

The idea of preserving a fragment of this history in a wearable form felt powerful. To carry BR601’s legacy into the present, not hidden in museums or photographs, but alive in a piece of jewellery that could be worn daily, seemed the perfect tribute.

A Ring Forged from History

Birch propeller wood from BR601 forms the outer band — strong, warm, and storied.

Sterling silver twin inlays symbolize sunlight on wings and the two aces who carried BR601 to glory.

Birch wood liner ensures strength and comfort, echoing the same material that helped drive her propeller through the skies.

Handcrafted, waterproof, and built to endure, the Spitfire BR601 Ring is more than a piece of jewellery. It is history, courage, and craftsmanship bound into one.

The Final Word

Every ring tells a story. This one tells the story of a plane that defined an era, of two aces whose victories shaped history and of the enduring legacy of “the few.”