The 8th Infantry Division was a part of the 4th Army Corps at the start of the war.

The 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment was mainly made up of Spanish Republican Soldiers who had fled to France after the Spanish Civil War.

The 8th Motorised Infantry Brigade was absorbed by the 7th Light Armoured Division, creating the 7th Armoured Division in 1963.

The new division had its headquarters at Amiens and formed part of III Corps.

In 1985 the division consisted of the 8th Infantry Regiment (8 RI) (Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé wheeled personnel carriers) (Noyon), the 94th Infantry Regiment (France) (VAB) (Sissonne), the 67th Infantry Regiment (VAB) (Soissons), the 7 RCh (AML) (Arras), the 41st Marine Artillery Regiment (former Coloniale), the 8 Compagnie de Genie, and the 8 RCS (Amiens).