Hezlet was commissioned into the part-time
Antrim Royal Garrison Artillery (
Special Reserve) in 1911, served during
World War I and won a
DSO while commanding a siege battery in 1918. He ended the war with the rank of
major. The citation for his DSO, which appeared in
The London Gazette in July 1918, reads as follows: He was re-commissioned on the outbreak of
World War II and on 1 December 1940 he took command of the newly-formed
66th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, at
Belfast. Shortly afterwards he was promoted to
lieutenant-colonel and commanded the regiment during the
Belfast Blitz, He remained in command until May 1942, after the regiment had crossed to
Kent to train for active service overseas. ==Golf career==