 In World War I he served with the Gordon Highlanders and was severely wounded.He later served with the administrative staff of the Royal Air Force.He was the unsuccessful Liberal Party parliamentary candidate for the Unionist seat of Ayr Burghs in 1918 where the intervention of a Labour Party candidate prevented what would otherwise have been a rare gain for the Liberals; 

He entered Parliament as Liberal MP for Aberdeenshire Central at a by-election in April 1919.