At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and served as a pilot in 1918 in the last year of World War I. He was trained as a mining engineer and worked for Brazilian Traction in South America and Ontario Hydro.
At 17, he joined the Royal Air Force and flew as a pilot in 1918 during the final year of World War I. He then pursued a career in mining engineering, working for companies such as Brazilian Traction in South America and Ontario Hydro.