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. 2 Squadron RCAF
No. 2 (Operations) Squadron was formed at High River, Alberta on 1 April 1925 under the control of RCAF headquarters, one of four squadrons authorized to carry out missions in support of government agencies. Commanded by Squadron Leader A.A.L. Cuffe, it flew forestry patrols over Alberta to support civil government with sub-bases at Pincher Creek and Eckville. Flight Lieutenant R. Collis replaced Cuffe on 19 October 1926, and would lead the squadron for the rest of its military career. Equipped with the de Havilland DH.4, Avro 552A, and Avro 504N, it tested two Armstrong Whitworth Siskins between 22 June and 14 July 1927. Of the latter, one crashed on 28 June with the loss of its pilot and the other was returned to Camp Borden. 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. Retroactively redesignated as No. 2 (Training) Squadron on 1 April, the squadron was reformed a year later as an advanced training unit, but due to a lack of aircraft, funding, and personnel it only existed on paper.