 Early in 1912 he became secretary and one of the three main contributors to an advisory committee on military aviation of the Committee of Imperial Defence whose recommendations led to the establishment of the Royal Flying Corps.In 1913, he was posted to the staff at Camberley, where he remained until the outbreak of World War I in August 1914.He was in command of a field company of Royal Engineers, participated in the retreat from Mons, Belgium and in November received a wound which permanently restricted the use of fingers on his right hand.