He fought in the Second World War as a submarine commander before taking part in the Dieppe Raid and becoming Chief Staff Officer to the Naval Forces for the Normandy landings.

[2] He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1919[3] and, having been promoted to midshipman on 15 January 1924, he went to sea in the battleship HMS Iron Duke.

[10] He went on to be Executive Officer of the cruiser HMS Swiftsure in the British Pacific Fleet in August 1944 and was promoted to captain on 30 June 1945.

[4] He went on to be Commanding officer of Royal Naval Air Station Ford in September 1946 and became deputy director of Plans at the Admiralty in December 1948.

[4] Promoted to rear admiral on 7 January 1955,[14] he became Flag Officer, Flotillas for the Home Fleet in August 1956 and, having been appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1957 New Year Honours[15] and promoted to vice admiral on 31 January 1958,[16] he became Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland in July 1958.

[4] Advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1960 New Year Honours,[17] he became Commander-in-chief, Far East Fleet in April 1960 and, having received promotion to full admiral on 22 August 1960,[18] he became Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in the Far East and UK Military Adviser to the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization in November 1962.