During the First World War he served in Egypt from 18 November 1914 to 22 March 1915 and Mesopotamia from 7 April 1915 to 29 April 1916 when he was taken prisoner at the Fall of Kut. During this time he was wounded (on 14 April 1915 at the Battle of Shaiba), was mentioned in dispatches twice and was awarded the Military Cross and bar. The bar to his Military Cross was for successfully escaping from his Prisoner of war camp in August 1918. This was awarded 10 June 1920.