Born on 27 May 1891, Anglican, and joined the WA Education Department in 1906 as a monitor at Bicton School on a salary of 30 pounds a year. This was followed by a senior monitorship at Fremantle Boys in 1908. He graduated from Claremont Teachers College in 1912. In August 1914 he was granted leave to apply for a commission and enlisted in the AIF on 25 August 1914 giving his postal address as Tate St, West Leederville. He was wounded at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, evacuated to a Manchester hospital and was eventually repatriated to Australia where he was discharged on 4 April 1916. His injuries prevented his re-enlistment in the AIF so he paid his fare to England and signed up as a Captain in the 2nd Welsh Guards and served with this regiment until June 1918. After his return to Australia he resumed teaching and lived with his wife and son at Cottesloe.
