 He served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1940 to 1968.He was a lieutenant aboard during the battles of Leyte and Lingayen Gulf.In the rank of Acting Captain, he was an honorary aide-de-camp to the Governor-General, and Director of Naval Intelligence 1961 from 1963, and after confirmation in the rank of Captain, he served as Captain of and Captain of the Australian Destroyer Squadron 1963–65.