No. 8 Squadron was formed on the 14 February 1936 as a General Purpose (GP) squadron at
Winnipeg, Manitoba. The squadron moved to
Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport in February 1937, where it was tasked as a photographic unit, equipped with
Fairchild 71,
Bellanca Pacemaker and
Canadian Vickers Vedette. Mobilized on the 10 September 1939 as No. 8 (GR) Squadron at Sydney, Nova Scotia, It was redesignated Bomber Reconnaissance (BR) at the end of October 1939. Equipped with
Northrop Deltas and
Bristol Bolingbrokes, the squadron was tasked with anti-submarine duty while serving with
RCAF Eastern Air Command. In December 1941, after the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor the squadron was moved to
RCAF Station Sea Island on the west coast of Canada as part of
RCAF Western Air Command. In June 1942 in response to the Japanese attack on the Aleutians, it was moved to Alaska flying the Bristol Bolingbroke V as part of RCAF X Wing, operating from
Elmendorf Army Airfield (Anchorage), with small detachments stationed at
Naval Air Station Kodiak and
Marks Air Force Base (Nome). The squadron returned to
RCAF Station Sea Island in March 1943. Having converted to
Lockheed Ventura GR.V in May 1943, the squadron continued with anti-submarine duty based from
RCAF Station Port Hardy and
RCAF Station Patricia Bay. No. 8 Squadron was disbanded at Patricia Bay, B.C. 25 May 1945. ==Equipment==