Strafford was commissioned into the Royal Naval Air Service in 1917 during the First World War.

[1] He served in the Second World War as Officer Commanding the Advanced Headquarters (North) of the British Air Forces in France before becoming deputy director of Plans at the Air Ministry in 1940.

[1] He was made Head British Air Planner for the Combined Chiefs of Staff in Washington D. C. in 1941, before joining the staff of the Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) in 1943 and becoming Chief of Plans and Operations for Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in 1944.

[1] Strafford was one of the representatives of the RAF at the funeral of King George VI.

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