He served in the Second World War, initially as brigade major of the 113th Infantry Brigade in 1940. He then went to the Staff College, Camberley before becoming brigade major of the 204th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) in 1941. He served as a general staff officer (GSO) with the 4th Division and then at First Army Headquarters. He was involved in the fall of Tunis in May 1943. He was appointed commanding officer (CO) of the 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment which was deployed to the Italian Front in 1943 before he returned to the 4th Division later that year. He was a brigadier on the General Staff of General Sir Harold Alexander at Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ) in Italy in 1945.