 He also took the role of the King in Verdi's "Aida" in a cast including Beniamino Gigli.In 1941 he was commissioned in the RAF and served as a Flying Control Officer until demobilised as a Flight Lieutenant in November 1945.During that time he received a Fellowship of the Royal Manchester College of Music (1941) and a Fellowship of the Guildhall School of Music in 1945.