After attending and later graduating from the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Darvall was commissioned into the
Green Howards on 16 August 1916 during the
First World War and in 1917 he was awarded the
Military Cross for gallantry in
Macedonia. After transferring to the RAF as a flying officer in 1919, he became officer commanding,
RAF Hawkinge in April 1939. He was granted the right to retain his rank of air marshal on his retirement. ==References==