He served in the Second World War (1939–1945) initially as deputy assistant adjutant-general for 27 Anti-Aircraft Group, then deployed to France and Belgium with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). On 1 March 1942 he took over as Commanding Officer (CO) of the 6th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry with the task of converting it into the 181st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. In August 1942 he joined the 132nd (Welsh) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, which formed part of the 78th "Battleaxe" Infantry Division and commanded it in the Tunisian campaign. In 1943 he joined the 21st Army Group in England and later in Northwest Europe.