Russell received a temporary commission in 1914 and in 1915 joined the 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) with whom he served during World War I.

In March 1919, as an acting captain he was awarded the MC,[8] the citation for which read In the attack on the Tabsor system of trenches on the 19th September, 1918, he displayed conspicuous gallantry and leadership.

[17] In March 1942 4th Indian Division was dispersed and the brigade was sent to Palestine but hastily summoned back to the western desert after Rommel's breakthrough at the Battle of Gazala.

On 28 June the brigade found its line of withdrawal from Metrsa Matruh cut and was forced to break out southwards into the desert in small parties before turning east and reforming behind the defensive position at El Alamein.

[9] 4th Indian Division's initial role in the second Alamein battle was to make diversionary displays from Ruweisat Ridge while the main offensive went into the north.

For the next three months the division fought up the eastern side of Italy as part of Eighth Army's V Corps, making crossings of the rivers Biferno, Trigno and in late November the Sangro.

By mid-December they had crossed the Moro but General Sir Bernard Montgomery, the Eighth Army commander, called off offensive operations as deteriorating winter weather and conditions underfoot made further attacks impractical and 8th Indian Division were tasked to hold the front between Orsogna and the Apennine Mountains.

[5] After three weeks' rest the division re-joined XIII Corps, which by this time formed the right wing of the U.S. Fifth Army, under Mark Clark, to liberate Florence before moving into the central Apennines and advance north east to confront the Gothic Line.

Monte Citerna on the Gothic line was taken on 9 September but this only heralded another two and a half months fighting, making slow progress in poor conditions and wild terrain.

By the evening 8th Indian Division, with the New Zealanders on their left, had in furious fighting against desperate defence created a bridgehead one and a half miles deep.

In 1947 Russell became C-in-C Delhi and East Punjab Command in the acting rank of lieutenant-general before in 1948 becoming Chief Advisor to the Indian Army.

He was knighted KBE in the 1950 New Year's honours list at the request of the Indian government[3] and retired in July 1954[22] retaining the honorary rank of lieutenant-general.