No. 428 Squadron RCAF
On 7 Nov 1942, he assumed command of No 428 (RCAF) Squadron, standing up the squadron in No. 4 Group. As the OC, it was noted that "Wing Commander Earle was a grand chap, one who can genuinely be called, 'One of Nature's Gentlemen'. He was well liked by the Canadians and sadly missed when he left on promotion to group captain in February 1943. He flew two operations from Dalton, occupying the astro-dome. He had previously been flying Fairey Gordons in the Middle East (Iraq), and found the Wellington difficult, partly due to his eyesight not liking the English skies, and partly as he was not a tall man." After only three months, he left 428 Bomber Squadron (RCAF) as an acting group captain on 7 Feb 1943, when he was assigned as the station commander of RAF Ridgewell and then RAF West Wickham, late in 1943, then as a temporary group captain. He ended the war as Air Officer Commanding No. 300 Group RAF (RAF Transport Command) in Australia.
805 Squadron RAN
805 Squadron was first formed as a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron in November 1940 at the RAF aerodrome at Abukir in Egypt. Operating Fairey Fulmars in a convoy protection role, the squadron operated in the Western Desert until January 1941, when it transferred to Crete. A short time later, it returned to Egypt and re-equipped with Brewster Buffalo fighters. In June 1941, these were replaced by the Grumman Martlett III. The squadron disbanded in January 1943. The squadron recommissioned in the UK for service in the Pacific Campaign, equipped with Supermarine Seafires, but saw no further service prior to the end of the war.