He served in the Second Boer War with Mounted Infantry. During the war, he was present for operations in the Orange Free State from February to May 1900, then in Transvaal and the Orange River Colony during the rest of 1900. He took part in actions near Johannesburg and Pretoria in May and June 1900, and in the battles of Diamond Hill (June 1900), Wittebergen (July 1900) and Elands River (August 1900). He was wounded on 13 December 1900 during the Battle of Nooitgedacht and evacuated under fire from the battlefield by Sergeant Donald Farmer who was awarded the Victoria Cross for this act of bravery. He continued to serve in South Africa throughout the war, including in Cape Colony, and was promoted to captain on 29 May 1901. For his service in the war, he was twice mentioned in despatches (including in the final despatch by Lord Kitchener dated 23 June 1902), received the Queen's South Africa Medal with four clasps, and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).