[1] At the start of the Second World War, Hayes joined the British Army and served in the Royal Engineers with Field Survey Units in Iceland and Egypt.
[2] He was wounded while in north Africa and returned to England in 1943 before serving in north-western Europe after the Normandy landings until he was invalided out of the Army in 1945.
[3][4] Alongside many notable colleagues, such as Ruskin Spear and John Minton, Hayes influenced the artistic development of a generation of students that included David Hockney, Peter Blake, Patrick Caulfield and R. B.
[5] After retiring from the RCA, Hayes remained an honorary member of the college and, later, taught at the City & Guilds School of Art in London.
[1] In 1962 Hayes was elected to the council of the Royal Society of British Artists, RBA, having exhibited with them several times previously.