Regimental service and peacetime commands In 1920, while a
public servant, Poole joined the 9th Infantry Regiment
(Cape Peninsula Rifles) of the
Active Citizen Force as a private. Poole transferred to the
Permanent Force in 1922. He was placed first on the course for promotion to
commissioned rank on 11 September 1923. He was next posted as a lieutenant to the 3rd Battery, South African Field Artillery and transferred to the South African Permanent Garrison Artillery at Cape Town in March 1925, when he again qualified in the first place on a garrison gunnery course. In 1927, he attended a
staff duties course at the South African Military College at
Roberts Heights and was attached to the
South African staff Corps at the college in 1929, again passing out in the first place on a staff duties course of the Permanent Force in 1931. Appointed officer instructor to the
Transvaal Horse Artillery for 193132, he qualified as a
captain in the Field Artillery at the end of 1931. In June 1932, he was granted the temporary rank of captain as staff officer, 'A' and 'G', in Cape Town and transferred to the staff corps. Poole was subsequently posted to the
Special Service Battalion as second-in-command with the rank of major. He became the
Officer Commanding of the battalion in February 1934. In June 1935, he was granted the temporary rank of
lieutenant colonel and was attached to the British
Brigade of Guards at
Aldershot, in London, and at
Pirbright until September 1935. For the rest of the year, he attended the
Senior Officers' School at
Sheerness. He returned to South Africa to resume command of the Special Service Battalion in 1936. In October 1937, Poole was transferred to the
South African Military College and became
Commandant of the college on 16 March 1938. Following the Union's entry into the Second World War in September 1939, Poole organised the greatly expanded facilities at the college, including the huge 'B' Mess dining halls seating 500 officer cadets.
Second World War Poole was appointed General Service Officer Grade 1 (GSO1) of
1st South African Infantry Division, with the rank of
colonel, on its formation in August 1940. However, when the
2nd South African Infantry Division was formed he became its GSO1 on 1 October 1940. In April 1941, Poole was promoted to the temporary rank of
brigadier. In June, he was transferred back to the 1st Division as brigadier to take command of the
2nd South African Infantry Brigade in Egypt. He saw active service with the brigade at
Mersa Matruh, commanding 'Braforce' under the 2nd Division on the Egyptian frontier later in 1941, and then with the 1st Division on the
Gazala Line from February to May 1942. He returned temporarily to South Africa as officer commanding Cape Fortress until rejoining his brigade at El Alamein in August 1942. There he commanded the brigade in the
Second Battle of El Alamein in October–November 1942. He returned to South Africa as second-in-command of the 1st Division. Poole assumed command, with the rank of
major general, of the
6th South African Armoured Division on its formation in February 1943. He retained command throughout its training in the Middle East and subsequent service in Italy as part of the
British Eighth Army. After the liberation of
Florence, the division became part of the
Fifth United States Army. At the end of the war, he became
General Officer Administration of all South African troops in the
Allied Central Mediterranean Force until their
repatriation on 2 March 1946. During the Second World War, Poole was twice
mentioned in despatches, received the
Distinguished Service Order, and was invested as a
Companion of the Order of the Bath and as a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was among the very few South Africans to be invested as a Commander of the United States
Legion of Merit, and was invested as a Commander of the French
Legion of Honour. He also received the French
Croix de Guerre. ==Post-war and diplomatic career==