[1] Educated at Repton School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, John Burnett-Stuart was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) as a second-lieutenant on 6 March 1895.

[2] He also served in the Second Boer War in South Africa between 1899 and 1902, during which he was promoted to captain on 20 February 1901, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1900.

[2] Following the end of the war in June 1902, Burnett-Stuart returned to the United Kingdom on the SS Orotava which arrived at Southampton in early September.

[7] and was appointed General Officer Commanding Madras District[8] in India where he was involved in the suppression of the Moplah Rebellion at Malabar between 1921 and 1922.

[2] Burnett-Stuart was also Aide-de-camp general to King George V from 1935 to 1938 and Colonel Commandant of 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade from 1936 to 1945.