Commissioned into the RAF's Accountant Branch as a Pilot Officer on probation with effect from 6 September 1939, several promotions saw him become a Flight Lieutenant (War Substantive) in June 1944, shortly after he was burned. After the war, in July 1945, he became a Squadron Leader and retired from the Emergency List with this ranks in February 1954.

After the war he worked for the Central Electricity Generating Board. He said he often had an empty seat next to him on his train journeys to work as people would move away when the saw his face and hands. He usually then greeted them with "I don't bite, you know"