 Despite having lost an arm in a shooting accident at the age of sixteen, he was active in several natural history expeditions, and had a distinguished service record during World War II in New Guinea, 1941–1945.He was Reader in zoology and comparative anatomy at St Bartholomew's Medical College, University of London, 1949–1960, and foundation professor of zoology and comparative physiology, then Dean of Science, at Monash University 1960–1967.He will be remembered by older generations of radio listeners as "Jock the Backyard Naturalist", a regular on the Argonauts Club until 1946.