He won the Francis Fowke memorial Medal in 1873[3][4] and later specialised in under-sea mining operations and was posted to Bermuda in 1877 before being seconded to the Treasury between 1880 and 1884.

[1][5][6][7][8] After the outbreak of the Second Boer War in October 1899, Rawson was posted to South Africa where he commanded the Royal Engineers lines of communication in Natal Colony.

He was part of the force which relieved Ladysmith in March 1900 and saw action at the Battle of the Tugela Heights and Pieter's Hill.

After serving in the Transvaal in May and June, where he was at the Battle of Laing's Nek, he was posted back to Natal, spending some time on the Zululand frontier before receiving the brevet rank of colonel in November 1900.

[1][9] Following the end of hostilities in June 1902, Rawson left Cape Town on the SS Orissa, which arrived at Southampton in late October 1902.

[17] After he was commissioned in the Army, he joined the Royal Engineers football club, and was a member of the side who reached the 1874 FA Cup Final, losing 2–0 to Oxford University.

[18] The following year, the Engineers again reached the final, this time defeating the Old Etonians 2–0 in a replay, after a 1–1 draw in the first match.

[19] Shortly before the 1875 FA Cup Final, Rawson was selected (along with William) for the England team against Scotland.