[1] Armitage was commissioned into the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant on 6 January 1900, as the army expanded due to the ongoing Second Boer War in South Africa, where he was sent.

[2] After the end of this war in June 1902, Armitage was attached to the 74th Battalion, Royal Field Artillery, which left Durban for British India in October 1902, and was stationed at Lucknow, Bengal Presidency.

He was aided throughout this difficult period by his General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO1), Thomas Hutton.

[4] Armitage lived at Downington House in Lechlade,[6] and served as Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Gloucestershire.

[7] In 1915, Armitage married Hilda Hirst of Meltham Hall, and they had three sons, Charles, Robert and Johnny, and a daughter Mary.