Joining the Royal Navy in 1880, he commanded the boys' training ship HMS St Vincent (1904–1906), HMS Blake (1907), and HMS Minotaur (1910–1913). During the First World War, he served as commodore-in-charge and then rear admiral-in-charge of HMS Ganges, a boys' training establishment in Shotley. On 1 April 1918, he joined the newly created Royal Air Force (RAF) as a major-general, and served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) No 5 Area and then GOC North Western Area. He relinquished his temporary commission in the RAF on 4 April 1919 and was placed on the retired list of the Royal Navy on 18 July 1919.[1][2][3] He continued to be promoted while on the retired list, being made an admiral in November 1926.[4]