[1] After leaving school he was employed as a miner, but was able to find himself a place as a professional footballer at Carluke Rovers, before moving to Celtic, although he never played for the first team.

[1] Early in 1915 his company, from 8th Bn HLI,[3] was transferred to the 8th Royal Scots, the first Territorial battalion to join the Expeditionary Force.

On 12 June 1915 at Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée, France, Lance-Corporal Angus voluntarily left his trench to rescue a wounded officer, fellow Carluke man Lieutenant James Martin, who was lying within a few yards of the enemy's position and had been injured by a mine.

To do this he had to travel through 64 metres in no-man's land under heavy bomb and rifle fire,[1] and received about 40 wounds, some of them being very serious, including the loss of his left eye.

After 2 months in hospital he returned to London where he was given the Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 30 August 1915.