 He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1930, and was posted to the training cruiser HMS "Frobisher" in January 1934, receiving promotion to midshipman on 1 September 1934, on transfer to the battleship , flagship of the Home Fleet.He was deployed to the Mediterranean in the destroyer HMS "Express" in September 1935 and saw service with her during the Abyssinian crisis.He was promoted sub-lieutenant on 1 May 1937, and appointed to the cruiser HMS "York", flagship of the America and West Indies Station in October 1937 and, after promotion to lieutenant on 1 August 1938, he transferred to the battleship HMS "Warspite", based in Malta in June 1939.