He was a crew member of the British boat Cobweb, which won the gold medal in the 8 metre class.

[2] On 18 February 1897 he married Beatrice Zoe, youngest daughter of the late Sir Richard Sutton, 4th Baronet.

[2][3][4] Among his fellow sailors in the crew of Cobweb in 1908 were his brothers-in-law Henry Sutton and Blair Cochrane.

On his return home he resigned from the army but on 23 May 1913 he took command of Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles of the Territorial Force as Lieutenant-Colonel.

In World War I he commanded the battalion in the disastrous action at Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli campaign, but was evacuated with sunstroke.