Born in Stanley, New Brunswick, he joined the 71st York Regiment of the Canadian Militia in 1906 and was appointed a lieutenant in 1907.

From 1939 to 1940, he was assistant adjutant and quartermaster general for the 1st Canadian Infantry Division in England.

He was promoted to lieutenant-general and was appointed the first commander-in-chief of II Canadian Corps effective on January 15, 1943.

After the war, he worked for various fund-raising organizations, including the Canadian March of Dimes and the Combined Appeal for the Handicapped.

In the 1945 election, he ran unsuccessfully as the Progressive Conservative candidate for the House of Commons of Canada in the New Brunswick riding of York—Sunbury.