Having been promoted to Major in 1904, Palin reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1912, and was appointed to command the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs. By the outbreak of World War I Palin had transferred to command his own regiment, the 14th Sikhs. The regiment joined 29th Indian Brigade in October 1914 and went with it to Egypt. After defeating a Turkish Raid on the Suez Canal in February 1915, the brigade was sent to Gallipoli in April 1915.