No. 8 Squadron RNZAF was a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 Bomber Reconnaissance squadron in the South Pacific

Pacific Ocean theater of World War II

The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

History

In response to Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

's entry into World War II, the Squadron was formed in March 1942 for the defence of New Zealand using obsolescent Vickers Vincent and Vickers Vildebeest

Vickers Vildebeest

The Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent were two very large two- to three-seat single-engined British biplanes designed and built by Vickers and used as a light bomber, torpedo bomber and in the army cooperation roles...

 torpedo bombers, which had been being used up to that point for training pilots bound to the war in Europe. As the risk of Japanese aggression reduced, the squadron was reformed as a Dive Bomber Squadron in preparation to going on the offensive in May 1943 - when it was re-numbered as No. 30 Squadron RNZAF

No. 30 Squadron RNZAF

No. 30 Squadron RNZAF was a New Zealand light bomber squadron which saw service against the Japanese in the Pacific Theatre during the last two years of the Second World War.-History:...

 and re-equipped with Grumman Avengers.

The squadron was reformed in October 1944 as a Bomber Reconnaissance squadron equipped with Lockheed Ventura

Lockheed Ventura

The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises...

s. It moved to a patrol role from Fiji

Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

 in November and December of that year, from the beginning of 1945 moving to Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...

 and then Emirau in February. As operations in the South West Pacific wound down, it was disbanded there in March 1945.

Commanding officers

• Squadron Leader C. L. Monckton April–September 1942
• Squadron Leader I. G. Morrison September 1942–April 1943
• Flight Lieutenant M. Wilkes April–May 1943
• Wing Commander L. H. Parry October–November 1944
• Wing Commander I. R. Salmond November 1944–March 1945