 Courtney was a bank clerk in Leeds, England, before he became a professional white hunter and gold prospector in East Africa.Upon his return to England he wrote an account of his experiences, a book entitled Claws of Africa, Experiences of a Professional Big-game Hunter (published in 1934 by George G. Harrap & Co.) He was also a sergeant in the Palestinian Police Force.When World War II began, he travelled from Africa (where he was big-game hunting) to England to join the Army as a "commando folding kayaker".