Graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1938 into the Signals Corps, he volunteered for service in the Second Australian Imperial Force soon after the outbreak of the Second World War and served in Syria, Western Europe and Borneo.

Educated at Brisbane State High School, he entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1935 to pursue a career in the Australian Army as a regular officer.

[2] Vincent graduated as a lieutenant in the Permanent Military Forces (PMF) in December 1938 as the Army began to expand in response to growing tension in Europe and the Pacific, and was allocated to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals.

Later, after going ashore the day after D-Day, he served with the XXX Corps as well as the 7th Armoured and 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Divisions during the advance across northern France and Belgium.

[4] In December 1944 he again returned to Australia and was promoted to lieutenant colonel before taking command of the signals unit attached to the I Australian Corps, which was subsequently involved in the amphibious landings on Tarakan, Labuan and Balikpapan against the Japanese during the Borneo Campaign in 1945.

[2] As a colonel he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List on 12 June 1958 in recognition of his service to the Australian Staff Corps.

[2][6] Vincent took over as Commander, Australian Force Vietnam (COMAFV) in Saigon on 29 January 1967 from Major General Ken Mackay, a former classmate at Duntroon, due to the latter's illness.