The name“Supermarine” is inextricably linked to“The Spitfire”, the iconic aircraft that symbolised British defiance during World War II, but the name masks a more complex company heritage that grew from a small private venture into a wholly owned, but fiercely independent, subsidiary of the massive Vickers-Armstrongs organisation. In the end Supermarine would become absorbed into Vickers-Armstrongs (Aviation) Ltd. which in turn fell victim to the consolidation of British aircraft manufacturing in the 1950s and 1960s, ultimately disappearing into the British Aircraft Corporation.

To understand “The Supermariners” and why so many were so intensely loyal and proud of “their” firm it is necessary to understand a little of how the company developed and how it was organised along with the pressures and rivalries they faced.

In the following sections reference is made to the people involved, their roles and responsibilities, but also (where possible) their personal stories and recollections of the company they called“Supers”