Alfred Earle
Sir Alfred Earle | |
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Born | 11 December 1907 |
Died | 27 March 1990 82) | (aged
Allegiance |
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Service/branch |
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Years of service | 1925–1966 |
Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
Commands held |
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff Technical Training Command No. 13 Group No. 232 Group No. 300 (Transport) Group RAF West Wickham No. 428 Squadron RCAF |
Battles/wars | Second World War |
Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle GBE, CB, RAF (rtd.) (11 December 1907 – 27 March 1990) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War who later became Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.
Military career
Earle was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1925.[1] He served in bomber squadrons in the United Kingdom and in Iraq and then became an Instructor at the RAF School of Photography from 1930.[1]
He served in World War II 1939 and commanded the new School of Photography in Blackpool before joining the Directorate of Photography at the Air Ministry in 1940.[1] He transferred to the Directorate of Plans in 1941 and then formed and commanded No. 428 Squadron RCAF in 1942.[1] He was made Commander of RAF Ridgewell and RAF West Wickham in 1943 before joining the staff of General Sir Hastings Ismay for the Cairo Conference and then the Yalta Conference.[1] In 1945 he was made Air Officer Commanding No. 300 (Transport) Group in Australia.[1]
After the War he became Air Officer Commanding No. 232 Group in South East Asia before joining the Directing Staff at the RAF Staff College, Bracknell in 1946.[1] He was made Senior Personnel Staff Officer at Headquarters Technical Training Command in 1949 and then Commandant of the Royal Australian Air Force Staff College in 1951.[1]
He became Director of Policy (Air Staff) in 1954 and Air Chief of Staff (Policy) in 1955.[1] He was Air Officer Commanding No. 13 Group from 1957 and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff from 1960.[1] He was made Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Technical Training Command in 1962 and Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in 1964; he retired in 1966.[1]
Later life
After Earle retired from the RAF in 1966, he took up the position of Director-General of Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence. He held the post until 1968.[1] From 1974 to 1976 he was the Chairman of Waveney District Council.[2]
References
Military offices | ||
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Preceded by Sir Wallace Kyle |
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Technical Training Command 1962–1964 |
Succeeded by Sir Donald Evans |
New title Post established |
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff 1964–1966 |
Succeeded by Sir George Cole |
Government offices | ||
Preceded by Sir Kenneth Strong |
Director-General Intelligence 1966–1968 |
Succeeded by Sir Harold Maguire |