He joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France in 1939 and 1940, commanding a machine gun company of the 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, which was attached to Major General Harold Alexander's 1st Infantry Division. During the retreat from the River Dyle in the face of the German blitzkrieg in May 1940, his company formed part of the division's rearguard, supporting the &lt;a href="13th/18th%20Royal%20Hussars"&gt;13th/18th Royal Hussars&lt;/a&gt; and 21st Anti-Tank Regiment of the Royal Artillery. He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for his actions, and was evacuated from Dunkirk.