He was promoted to colonel on 1 May 1938 and in 1939 he went to France with the British Expeditionary Force and served as Commandant in Dieppe. After the evacuation in 1940, he was appointed Deputy Director of Medical Services with X Corps from 17 July 1940, with the acting, then temporary, rank of brigadier. He relinquished this post on 22 September 1941 and was appointed as the Deputy Director of Medical Services of the Southern Army, India with the permanent rank of major general. He was promoted to the local rank of lieutenant general on 1 June 1943 and, at about the same time, became Director of Medical Services of the Southern Army.