He
joined the Army at 17 in the Royal Artillery and served with 50th
Anti-Aircraft Regiment, but very soon volunteered for the SAS.
Passing the requirements for this, he joined 22 Special Air Service
Regiment in February 1955.
He
served for two years with that Force in Malaya and was then
discharged onto the Reserve. However he rejoined the SAS and served
for another three years before being transferred to the
Gloucestershire Regiment for the remainder of his service to April
1962.
During
the second period of service with the SAS, he was engaged in Oman
against insurgents from the Yemen.
Of
a total of eight years service, he spent six in active operations as
a member of an elite specialist Regiment.
