Thank you for your replies and for noting the link to the image, links don’t show up very clearly here I should have made it clearer sorry.

The aircraft in question was produced/delivered on 10-10-41. The image (which is copyright so I didn’t post it here, although I’ve had permission to use it elsewhere I didn’t want to take liberties was taken during its time with 122 Squadron in 1943.

It’s history is:

9MU 10-10-41 CRD VA 31-12-41 for Cv Seafire Accident Code 1 on ferry flight 17-11-41 (Lt JM Bruen) 778S Arbroath 11-41 to 3-42 retd RAF 45MU 26-3-42 165S 8-6-42 FAAC 25-8-42 ros 93S 1-10-42 312S 31-12-42 132S 15-4-43 122S 21-5-43 234S 15-8-43 345S 3-4-44 53OTU 11-8-44 Gosport Ftr Circus 30-9-44 Tyre burst on take-off swung and tipped up Hibaldstow 13-4-45 SOC major repair 28-5-45

So would the hiding of the serial number still be a reasonable assumption? I have another image of the aircraft from 1942 whilst it was with 165 squadron and it has the Sky band and the serial is in black over the band. That image is in “Classic Warbirds No.7” Pg.15. I am not sure of the copyright on that particular image so I won’t post it here either.