Sometime prior to 1884 he joined the British Army. On 12 November 1884 he transferred, as a lieutenant, from 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment to the King's (Liverpool) Regiment. He served with the 2nd battalion of his regiment in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885–87, and was promoted captain on 19 November 1890. On 15 December 1897 he was seconded to act as adjutant to a Volunteer Force unit, the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers. He was promoted major on 21 March 1900, but remained as adjutant of volunteers. Sometime before 27 August 1902 he transferred his regular army commission to the Worcestershire Regiment, and on that date he retired from regular army service, at the same time stepping down as adjutant of the 1 Volunteer battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.