 He served in the Governor General's Foot Guards, before signing attestation papers for service overseas on 1 February 1915, and was assigned to the 38th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, with the rank of lieutenant.According to his service record his father was by then dead, so he gave his mother as his next of kin.The 38th Battalion remained in Canada until 14 August 1915, when it was transferred to Bermuda to serve as part of the garrison.