The service histories of the 8th and 9th Destroyer Flotillas do not follow a single station or an unbroken existence. The 8th spent much of the interwar period on the China Station after varied First World War duties. The 9th moved through the Mediterranean Fleet and Atlantic Fleet Reserve, was deactivated, and briefly reappeared as a home formation in 1940 before another reorganization. A flotilla number therefore cannot be treated as proof of continuous service in one theatre when tracing ships and officers through fleet records.
Notable Point · 30:47-31:48
What flotilla numbers conceal about changing missions
The 8th and 9th Destroyer Flotillas changed stations, reserve status, and even existence, so a numbered formation should not be mistaken for a permanently continuous unit.