Hampshire joined the
War Office in 1935, and in 1946 was transferred to the
Foreign Office (German Section) and the Control Office for Germany and Austria. From 1948 to 1951, he served at the High Commission at
Ottawa, and from 1953 to 1955 at the Deputy High Commission at
Dacca, before he was appointed head of the
Colombo Plan Department at the
Commonwealth Relations Office. From 1957 to 1960, he served in
Buenos Aires with the rank of counsellor. In 1961, he was appointed head of the Western and Middle East Department at the Commonwealth Relations Office. From 1961 to 1966, he served there as assistant under-secretary in several departments: Commonwealth Relations (Foreign Affairs Division) (1961–62); Commonwealth Relations (Establishments and Organisation) (1962–1964); and Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs while also deputy chief of Administration (1965–66). From 1966 to 1970, he served as high commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago. In 1970, Hampshire became a member of the chairman’s panel of the civil service selection board, a post he held until 1977. == Personal life and death ==