 Sir Walter served during the First World War and, in the 1920s, managed a tea estate in Assam, there he became involved in local government and was a member of the Assam Legislative Council.During the First World War; he obtained a pilots certificate but due to the lack of aircraft he transferred to Royal Naval Armoured Car Division.In 1915 he was seconded to the Imperial Russian Army to fight against Turkish forces in the Caucasus Campaign.