 He served in the First World War as sub-lieutenant in the steamship HMS "Daffodil" from 1915, as Executive Officer in the destroyer in the Grand Fleet from 1916 and as Executive Officer in the destroyer in the Grand Fleet from 1918.He was present at the Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow in 1919.He became commanding officer of the destroyer in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1932 and naval attaché at Buenos Aires in Argentina in 1938.