The son of Charles and Priscilla. Born in Woolwich, Kent and baptised in County Cork, Ireland. At the time of the war, his mother, now widowed, lived at 2 Union Place, Gorey. At the time of joining the Army he worked as a carpenter. His brother Charles also served in the Jersey Company, and was killed in May 1916.

At the time of joining up he gave his age as nineteen whereas actually he was fifteen years and eleven months. In April 1916, he was wounded by a gunshot wound to the head. After brother Charles was killed, his mother wrote to the Army, appealing for him to be released on account of his age. He was by then seventeen, and so the Army transferred him to serve as a Bugler in Ireland with the 4th Royal Irish Rifles. He may have been sent back to the front in 1917, but was diagnosed with Epilepsy and sent to a hospital in Southampton for treatment. In April 1918 he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, serving in its 19th Company. Discharged from the Army in September 1919.