During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, he served in the Singapore Reserve Army with the rank of lance-bombardier.
dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə dʒˌæpənˈiːz ˌɑːkjʊpˈeɪʃən ʌv sˈɪŋɡɐpˌoːɹ, hiː sˈɜːvd ɪnðə sˈɪŋɡɐpˌoːɹ ɹɪzˈɜːv ˈɑːɹmi wɪððə ɹˈæŋk ʌv lˈænsbˌɑːmbɚdˈɪɹ.