 The following month, he was on 8 March posted to the destroyer HMS "Flying Fish", while she was attached to the "Victory", naval school of telegraphy.He served in World War I as Second-in-Command of the cruiser HMS "Southampton" and as commanding officer of the cruiser HMAS "Melbourne".He became Deputy Director of Training and Staff Duties at the Admiralty in 1919, Director of the Royal Naval Staff College in 1922 and Director of the Naval Mobilisation Department at the Admiralty from 1928 to 1930.