Born the son of Harold Power Carver and Winifred Anne Gabrielle Carver (née Wellesley) and educated at Winchester College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Carver was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Tank Corps on 1 February 1935. He was promoted to lieutenant on 31 January 1938. He served in the Second World War initially organising logistics at the Headquarters of 7th Armoured Division which was engaged in fighting the Italians in North Africa: he was mentioned in despatches on 1 April 1941 and again on 8 July 1941 and awarded the Military Cross on 9 September 1942. Promoted to captain on 31 January 1943, he was given the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed Commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment on 14 April 1943, leading them in North Africa for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 4 May 1943 and in Italy for which he was awarded a Bar to his DSO on 24 February 1944. He was appointed Commander of 4th Armoured Brigade on 27 June 1944 and led his brigade in the campaign in North West Europe. He was also appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1945.