The photograph is of the BoBMF’s Spitfire MK356 painted as Spitfire Mk IX MJ250 UF*Q of 601 Squadron, Italy, summer 1944.
The original was in fact stripped of camouflage and had the fabric surfaces painted with Aluminium dope.
Spitfire Mk IXc EN399 stripped of paint Aboukir, Egypt, 1944. EN399 was used for a high-altitude interception role.
Post war changes in aircraft colour schemes were finally promulgated in AMO A.413 dated 15th May 1947. Day fighters were to be painted in a silver finish and with the smoothest possible surface in order to produce the best performance. An amendment in October 1947 stipulated that the new schemes were only to be applied to aircraft that needed to be refinished in the normal course of their maintenance. As a result the old wartime schemes continued to linger on for some time but new aircraft entering service would conform to the new schemes.
The correct/official name of the colour standard is Aluminium. The introduction of a painted Aluminium finish brought the wartime Aluminium paint to material specification DTD 63 (cellulose) and DTD 260 (synthetic) into widespread use. With it came the problem that it did not adhere well to the new high speed jets. During 1949 a new high gloss finishing scheme, DTD 772, was introduced. DTD 772 was a smooth finish for use on external metal surfaces of high speed aircraft and became colloquially known as ‘High Speed Silver’.
The scheme consisted of a primer which was a pigmented synthetic resin vehicle for direct application to metal. A filler which was a pigmented nitrocellulose or synthetic resin vehicle suitable for application over primer. A finish which was a glossy pigmented nitrocellulose or synthetic vehicle suitable for application over the primer by itself or both the primer and filler. Two polishes, one an abrasive cutting compound, the other a liquid polish. Both were free from wax. Stores Reference 33B for the materials required to finish an RAF fighter in this scheme were:
Top Coat Materials
Finish, Glossy Aluminium 33B/865
Bright Red 33B/912
White 33B/913
Bright Blue 33B/914
Yellow 33B/915
Black 33B/916
Undercoat Materials etc.
Primer, synthetic 33B/863
Filler, synthetic-cellulose 33B/864
Thinners, primer, synthetic 33B/867
Thinners, synthetic, cellulose 33B/868
Stopper 33B/869
Compound, cutting 33B/931
Polish, liquid 33B/933
Where an anti-dazzle patch was required the material used was to be Night to DTD 754 33B/883.
The finish was supplied by Docker Brothers and first applied to late production Meteor F.4s. The finish was identical in colour to the earlier wartime finishes but was considerably more glossy.