He took command of the light aircraft carrier HMAS Vengeance on 2 December 1952, less than three weeks after she was commissioned into the RAN after transfer from the Royal Navy.
Dia mengambil alih kapal pengangkut pesawat ringan HMAS Vengeance pada 2 Desember 1952, kurang dari tiga minggu dia ditempatkan di RAN setelah transfer dari Royal Navy.