| No. 8 Squadron RAF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active |
|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying squadron |
| Role | Airborne early warning and control |
| Part of | ISTAR Force |
| Station | RAF Lossiemouth |
| Mottos | Uspiam et passim (Latin for 'Everywhere unbounded') |
| Mascot | Augustus (AEuropean eagle owl) |
| Aircraft | E-7 Wedgetail (from late 2025) |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |  |
Number 8 Squadron (sometimes written asNo. VIII Squadron) is a squadron of theRoyal Air Force. It is based at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland and is expected to take delivery of theBoeing E-7 Wedgetail AEW1 during 2025/26.[1] The Wedgetail is thereplacement for theBoeing E-3D Sentry which the squadron operated from until 1991 to 2021.
As No. 8 Squadron of theRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) it was formed atBrooklands,Surrey on 1 January 1915 (1915-01-01), equipped with theRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c. The squadron moved toFort Grange,Gosport later on 6 January for further training, and crossed to France on 15 April 1915 toSaint-Omer.[2] While its main equipment was the B.E.2c, it also operated a fighter flight between May 1915 and early 1916 equipped with a mixture of aircraft, including theRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.8 and theBristol Scout, while it also evaluated the prototypeRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.9, a modified B.E.2 that carried the observer/gunner in anacelle ahead of the aircraft's propeller.[2][3]
Operating from airfields near Saint-Omer, the squadron was initially used for bombing and long-rangereconnaissance, carrying out flights of up to 100 miles (160 km) behind the front lines.[2][4] In February 1916, it moved to Bellevue and specialised in the Corps Reconnaissance role, carrying out contact patrols and artillery spotting in close co-operation with the army.[2][5] The squadron flew in support of theBattle of the Somme in the summer of 1916 and theBattle of Arras in April and May 1917. It received the improved B.E.2e from February 1917, but despite this, losses were heavy as all marks of B.E.2 were outclassed. TheArmstrong Whitworth FK.8 replaced the B.E.2s in August 1917.[2][6]
In June 1918, No. 8 Squadron, part of theRoyal Air Force since 1 April 1918 and commanded byMajorT. Leigh-Mallory, was allocated to theTank Corps, flying contact patrols in support of the Tank Corps attacks during theBattle of Amiens, and becoming expert in spotting and destroying German anti-tank guns. The FK.8 and some tanks were equipped withwireless sets, although wireless communications between tanks and aeroplanes remained at a very basic stage for the rest of the war.[7]
On 12 August 1918,CaptainFerdinand West of No. 8 Squadron was flying a F.K.8 on a contact patrol when he was attacked by seven German fighters. Despite a severe leg wound, West managed to manoeuvre his aircraft so that his observer could drive off the attacking fighters, before making a forced landing behind Allied lines and insisting in reporting the results of the flight. He was awarded theVictoria Cross for this action.[2][8][9]
In December 1918, a few weeks after theArmistice with Germany that ended theFirst World War, the squadron re-equipped withSunbeam Arab-enginedBristol F.2 Fighter. It served briefly in Germany as part of theBritish Army of Occupation, before moving back to the United Kingdom in July 1919 and disbanding on 20 January 1920.[10]
No. 8 Squadron reformed on 18 October 1920 atHelwan, nearCairo, Egypt, as a day-bomber squadron equipped with theAirco DH.9A. With the security of Iraq the responsibility of the RAF, the squadron moved toBasra in February 1921 to carry out air policing.[11] The squadron was deployed toKirkuk in July 1922, where it operated against aKurdish rebellion and Turkish infiltration, and helping to evacuate forces allied to the British from the city ofSulaymaniyah in September 1922.[12][13] In November and December 1923, the squadron was deployed againstMarsh Arabs in theMesopotamian Marshes.[12]
In February 1927, in response to unrest inAden, No. 8 Squadron was deployed toRAF Khormaksar, where it continued in the air policing role. The squadron replaced the elderly DH.9A with newFairey IIIF light bombers from January 1928. It flew operations againstZaidi in February 1928 and against the Subaihi tribe, who were refusing to pay taxes and revolting, from January to March 1929. Operations against the Subaihi involved destroying crops with incendiary bombs and bombing villages after giving warning so they could be evacuated. This pressure eventually forced the Subaihi to sue for peace, with the rebel chiefs paying fines. More peaceful operation carried out by the squadron included survey flights, casualty evacuation and carrying mail, while the squadron carried out a long-distance return trip from Aden to Cairo and back in 1932.[14][15]
In April 1935, it re-equipped again with theVickers Vincent, a general purpose aircraft based on theVickers Vildebeest biplane torpedo bomber. The squadron started to receiveBristol Blenheim twin-enginedmonoplane bombers in April 1939, but it retained a flight of Vincents for operations over the rough interior of theAden Protectorate.[16]
On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on Britain and France. No 8 Squadron flew its first combat missions of the war on 12 June, when nine Blenheims bombed an airfield atAssab in Italian-occupiedEritrea, across theRed Sea from Aden, with five Vincents attacking the same airfield that night.[17] On 5 August 1940,Italy invaded British Somaliland, and No. 8 Squadron's Blenheims flew missions against advancing Italian troop columns. The Italians heavily outnumbered the British andCommonwealth defences, and the port ofBerbera was occupied by the Italians on 19 August.[18][19]
The unit continued to be based atRAF Khormaksar in Aden equipped withBristol Blenheims. TheVickers Wellington XIII was flown from December 1943 until May 1945.[20]
On 15 May 1945, No. 8 Squadron reformed by renumberingNo. 200 Squadron at RAF Jessore in India, equipped with theConsolidated Liberator VI. The squadron again disbanded on 15 November 1945.[21]
The squadron was reformed at Khormaksar on 1 September 1946 by renumberingNo. 114 Squadron and the role of fighter bomber was adopted, initially with thede Havilland Mosquito FB.6. These were replaced by theHawker Tempest, and theBristol Brigand. These fighter was supported by the Anson C.19 andAuster AOP.6. The squadron's first jet aircraft were received in 1953 when it equipped with thede Havilland Vampire FB.9.[20] Continued updating of equipment brought thede Havilland Venom FB.1 and FB.4 and theHawker Hunter, flown from 1960 until 1971.[22] The squadron disbanded on 21 December 1971.[22]
The squadron reformed atRAF Kinloss on 1 January 1972 in theAirborne Early Warning (AEW) role using theAvro Shackleton AEW.2.[23] It moved toRAF Lossiemouth on 14 August 1973, where it stayed until 1991 when it moved toRAF Waddington near Lincoln and re-equipped with theBoeing E-3D Sentry.[24] The first of seven Sentries was handed over to the RAF on 26 March 1991[25] and the last during May 1992.[26] The squadron was deployed over theBalkans in the early 1990s; it also saw action overIraq in 2009 andAfghanistan in 2010 and was then involved inOperation Ellamy in 2011 during theLibyan Civil War.[27]
In early 2015, No. 8 Squadron deployed with two Sentries toRAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, to participate inOperation Shader.[28][29]
Two Sentries deployed toRAF Akrotiri on Cyprus in late May and early June 2021 to supportCarrier Strike Group 21 as it passed through theMediterranean Sea.[30] The E-3D's final operational sortie was carried out on 30 July, with the two aircraft returning to Waddington on 2 August and 4 August.[31] The Sentry was officially retired by the RAF on 28 September 2021.[32]
It was announced in July 2019 that from the mid-2020s the squadron will be the first to operate theBoeing E-7 Wedgetail, theplanned replacement for the RAF's E-3D Sentry fleet.[33]
As of May 2025, the first E-7 is expected to the delivered to the RAF by the end of 2025, with initial operational capability planned for 2026.[34]
Aircraft operated include:[35]
Thesquadron's badge features a sheathed Arabian dagger known as ajambia, adopted in recognition of the unit's long association withArabia. The weapon is sheathed to symbolise the squadron's guardian duties. The badge was approved byKing George VI in December 1943.[36]
The squadron's motto isUspiam et passim (Latin for 'Everywhere unbounded').[37] This reflects the vast areas of wilderness associated with the squadron's operations in Aden during the 1930s and 1940s.[36]
The squadron markings which appear on either side of theRAF roundel are horizontal bars of yellow, blue and red, representing sand, sea and blood.[36]
The squadron'sAvro Shackletons were named after characters from Britishchildren's television programmesThe Magic Roundabout andThe Herbs:[38]
The tradition continued when the squadron converted to the E-3D Sentry, with each named after one of the dwarfs fromDisney's 1937 animated filmSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs.[39]
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No. 8 Squadron has received the followingbattle honours. Those marked with an asterisk (*) may be emblazoned on thesquadron standard.[40][36]
Along with other units forming theNATO Airborne Earlier Warning Force, No. 8 Squadron was awarded a battle honour by NATO'sSupreme Allied Commander Europe for operations during theKosovo War in the late 1990s.[36] The squadron was the first in the RAF to be formally presented with a second standard in 1967; the first standard gifted in 1954, deteriorated in the climate whilst the squadron was located in Aden.[41]
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