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.
No. 3 Squadron RCAF
No. 3 (Operations) Squadron was formed at Rockcliffe, Ontario on 1 April 1925 under the control of RCAF headquarters, one of four squadrons authorized to carry out missions in support of government agencies. It soon moved to Shirleys Bay a month after its formation. Commanded by Squadron Leader A.B. Shearer, it flew forestry patrols over Ontario and Quebec to support civil government, in addition to "operating a test and development centre for new aircraft and photographic equipment." Flight Lieutenant R.S. Grandy replaced Shearer on 12 January 1926, and would lead the squadron for the rest of its military career. The squadron was equipped with the Curtiss HS-2L, Vickers Viking, Canadian Vickers Varuna, and Canadian Vickers Vedette flying boats, as well as the Avro 552A floatplane. Due to opposition to the RCAF performing civil operations, the squadron was transferred to the nominally civilian Directorate of Civil Government Air Operations on 1 July 1927 and its designation lapsed. It was retroactively redesignated as No. 3 (Service) Squadron on 1 April with A Flight nominally consisting of Armstrong Whitworth Siskin fighters, B Flight consisting of Armstrong Whitworth Atlas army cooperation aircraft, and C Flight consisting of Fairchild 71 and Bellanca Pacemaker. The squadron was reformed a year later as No. 3 (Advanced Training) Squadron, but due to a lack of aircraft, funding, and personnel it only existed on paper.