ˈæftɚɹ ɐtˈɛndɪŋ ðɪ ɪmpˈɪɹiəl dᵻfˈɛns kˈɑːlɪdʒ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi ˈeɪt, hiː bɪkˌeɪm kˈɑːmɐndˌɑːnt ʌvðɪ ˈɑːɹmi ɡˈæs skˈuːl ɪn wˈɪltʃɚɹ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi nˈaɪn.
After attending the Imperial Defence College in 1938, he became commandant of the Army Gas School in Wiltshire in 1939.