Serving during the Second World War, he became a major in January 1940. By December 1941, he was commanding 22nd Fortress Company of the Royal Engineers at Hong Kong. He was present for the Fall of Hong Kong to the Japanese in December 1941, during which he was captured and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war; his wife and children were also captured and interned at Baguio in the Philippines. He was repatriated to Manila following the end of the war in September 1945. He continued to serve in the army following the war. He retired from military service in August 1948, upon which he was granted the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel and ceased to be liable for recall in the reserves in October 1958.