John William Oldfield was born at Georgetown, British Guiana, on 22 October 1886,[1] and was educated at St. Anne's School, Redhill, Surrey.
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914 he was granted a commission in the Cameronians and by 1915 had become Brigade Machine Gun officer.
From 1917 to 1919 he served on the Divisional and Corps staff as Deputy Assistant Adjutant General.
His services were mentioned five times in dispatches and he was awarded the Military Cross in 1916[2][3] and appointed an OBE in 1919.
[4][5][6] Oldfield also received the Croix de Guerre and was made a Chevalier of the Order of Leopold.