In January 1932, Minnis was appointed as a staff captain at the
War Office, while the following year he became the deputy assistant director of works at the War Office. He was promoted to the rank of
major in October 1935. He relinquished his position as deputy assistant director of works in January 1936. He was granted the temporary rank of
lieutenant colonel in December 1937, while commanding the Royal Engineers at
Corsham. Having gained the full rank of lieutenant colonel in January 1938, he was promoted to the rank of battalion
colonel in July 1939. Minnis served during the
Second World War, where he commanded "X" Force, a formation of ten territorial field companies constructing defences on the French-Belgian frontier as a continuation north of the
Maginot Line prior to the
German invasion of France in May 1940. He was
mentioned in despatches in December 1940. He was appointed a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire in March 1941, while in May of the same year he was promoted to the rank of colonel. He was again mentioned in despatches in December 1941 and August 1943, the latter for service in
Iraq and
Persia. After the conclusion of the war he was retained on the active list, before retiring in July 1946, at which point he was granted the honorary rank of
brigadier. He was made the honorary colonel of the
118 Construction Regiment in October 1947, a role he undertook until his resignation in May 1949. He died at
Cirencester in September 1972. ==References==