In the war, he served with the London Sanitary Company, Royal Army Medical Corps in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (1916–1919).
He was commissioned a lieutenant on 15 March 1940,[8] and was awarded the George Cross in 1940 "for most conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner".
On July 28 he assisted Dr Merriman of London in experimenting on and afterwards defusing three unexploded bombs of a new shape at Great Yarmouth.
In view of the importance of clearing the line at all costs, Captain Barefoot and his men deliberately ignored the safety period of four days then laid down.
At the time we had very little knowledge of the mechanism of these mines, and much was learnt in these initial stages.He was promoted major in 1941 and returned to his architectural practice after the war.