ˈæftɚ lˈiːvɪŋ skˈuːl, hiː wˈɜːkt ɪn ɐ lˈoʊkəl bˈʊtʃɚz ʃˈɑːp ʌntˈɪl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːn, wˌɛn hiː ɛnlˈɪstᵻd ɪnðə kˈɪŋz lˈɪvɚpˌuːl ɹˈɛdʒɪmənt dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə fˈɜːst wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ.
After leaving school, he worked in a local butcher's shop until 1917, when he enlisted in the King's (Liverpool) Regiment during the First World War.