 In 1930, he was the first graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada (student # 2184) to join the RCN.He became agent general of Nova Scotia in the United Kingdom in 1977.Rear Admiral Piers is best known for his courageous actions in 1944 when, as the 30-year-old Commanding Officer of HMCS "Algonquin", he directly participated in the invasion in France where he guided his ship and her crew through the conflagration of D-Day.