Spring was commissioned as a
subaltern into the Lincolnshire Regiment (later the
Royal Lincolnshire Regiment) as a
second lieutenant on 7 May 1898, He served with the regiment in South Africa during the
Second Boer War, which began in October 1899, and from June 1900 he took part in operations in
Transvaal. He was again seconded for service in South Africa in April 1902, when he commanded a mounted infantry contingent. The war ended just a few weeks later, and Spring left Cape Town in the SS
Dunera in late September 1902, arriving at Southampton early the following month. He was back with his regiment in January 1903 and was adjutant of the 2nd Battalion of his regiment between 1904 and 1907, and was promoted to
captain in 1905. He retired from the army in 1907, but was recalled to service at the outbreak of the
First World War.
First World War Spring initially served as an embarkation officer, but was soon posted to the staff of the
33rd (Infantry) Brigade as its signals officer. He was promoted to major, dated back to April 1915, and deployed to
Gallipoli with the brigade in 1915, and was involved in the successful capture of "Chocolate Hill" by the 6th (Service) Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment from
Ottoman Empire forces during the
Battle of Sari Bair. However, the battalion suffered heavy losses and Spring himself was injured in the action. Upon recovery he took command of the 11th (Service) Battalion,
Essex Regiment and was granted the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel while employed in this role. The battalion at the time was engaged on the
Western Front with the
6th Division. Whilst in this position Spring presided over a divisional
court martial that sentenced Private
Harry Farr of the 1st Battalion,
West Yorkshire Regiment, to death for cowardice. Spring commanded the 11th Essex Regiment during the
Battle of the Somme, and at the
Battle of Cambrai. He was promoted to
colonel in 1918. In September 1918 he returned to the 33rd Brigade as its brigadier-general. He was
Mentioned in Despatches five times over the course of the war. Returning to England, Spring continued to serve with the Lincolnshire Regiment, commanding the 1st Battalion between 1923 and 1927. In this capacity he was in charge of the battalion during its deployment to
Northern Ireland from 1923 to 1924 in support of the
Royal Ulster Constabulary. Between 1927 and 1931, Spring was Assistant Quartermaster General of Southern Command in England. He was subsequently the commander of the Poona (Independent) Brigade Area, Southern Command, India until his retirement in 1935. During the
Second World War, he worked on the
Imperial General Staff at the
War Office. He was also a
Justice of the Peace. ==Death==