Siege of Tsingtao
He served with the Royal Marine Artillery during the Siege of Tsingtao in 1914 and later at Gallipoli, for which he was Mentioned in Despatches. He later took part in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, and was twice mentioned in despatches. For his service in the Great War, he received the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 1 January 1917 and was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel.