hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðə ɹˈɔɪəl ˈɛɹ fˈoːɹs ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti nˈaɪn æz ɐn ˈɛɹkɹæft ɐpɹˈɛntɪs æɾ ˌɑːɹɹˌeɪˈɛf hˈɔltən ænd kwˈɔlᵻfˌaɪd θɹˈiː jˈɪɹz lˈeɪɾɚɹ æz ɐn ˈɛndʒɪn fˈɪɾɚ.
He joined the Royal Air Force in 1929 as an aircraft apprentice at RAF Halton and qualified three years later as an engine fitter.