He was commissioned as an officer, with the rank of
lieutenant, with the
Royal Engineers in January 1886, and served in
India from 1887 to 1891. He was sent to
Mombasa for a year to survey a railway route to
Lake Victoria Nyanza. As a Lieutenant, he was an instructor and later as a Captain a professor in
military engineering at the
Royal Military College of Canada from 1895 to 1899. He performed
engineering,
railway and
survey work in
India during the years from 1899 to 1914, but was in January 1901 appointed a Special service officer to serve on the British Military Staff in China during the
Boxer Rebellion. He was
mentioned in despatches by Major-General
O'Moore Creagh, commander of the British force in China, for his work with the Chinese railways, and was commended
″for his skill in originally organizing the Locomotive Department, patching up engines, &c, with scant materials, and in record time″. During the
First World War, he was Adjutant of the
British First Army. He served as Director of Fortification and Works at the War Office 1918–20. He was promoted to substantive major general in January 1917. ==Awards and recognition==