Royal Canadian Naval Air Service

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The Royal Canadian Naval Air Service (RCNAS) was established in 1918 in response to the Royal Canadian Navy's recommendation that defensive air patrols be established off Canada's Atlantic coast to protect shipping from U-boats.

While RCNAS aircrews were being trained in the United States and Britain, the United States Naval Flying Corps began to fly convoy escort missions and reconnaissance patrols from two stations which were established at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (Naval Air Station Halifax) and North Sydney, Nova Scotia (Naval Air Station Sydney) as sea plane bases in 1918.

The war ended before the RCNAS aircrews had completed training, and the RCNAS was disbanded, with the Canadian Air Force (precursor to the Royal Canadian Air Force) taking over operation of both USN stations in Nova Scotia.