[1] He started his career in the Hertfordshire county surveyor's office and served in the Royal Engineers during the First World War, constructing railways in the Middle East and being awarded the Military Cross.
During the Second World War he served as Director-General of Aircraft Production Factories before returning to the GWR to construct military railway facilities.
[4][5] Quartermaine served as a commissioned officer in the Royal Engineers during the First World War and worked to develop railway facilities for the troops in Egypt and Palestine.
[12] Throughout this time Quartermaine remained liable for recall to the British Army as he was a captain of the Royal Engineers (Transportation) in the Supplementary Reserve of Officers, being promoted to major in that unit on 19 November 1924.
[19] Quartermaine returned to the GWR in January 1941 as it had been tasked with carrying out extensive railway construction works for military purposes.
[20][21][18] Quartermaine also served in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid, volunteer unit which provided technical expertise to the British Army.
These refusals, together with the need to balance the executive between representatives of the rail companies, meant that Frank Pope of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway was passed over in favour of David Blee who held the junior position of assistant to the chief goods manager at the GWR.
[25] On 7 September Quartermaine and Geoffrey Jellicoe were appointed members of the Royal Fine Art Commission to replace William Halcrow and John Summerson respectively.