 Dingle was born in London, but spent his early years in Plymouth, where he was taken following the death of his father, and where he attended Plymouth Science, Art and Technical Schools.Due to lack of money, he left school at the age of 14 and found employment as a clerk, a job which he held for 11 years.At age 25 he won a scholarship to the Imperial College, London, from which he graduated in 1918.