He was educated at Westminster School, London, then read mathematics and engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in 1934 with a double first. He spent two years as a graduate apprentice with Babcock & Wilcox Ltd, then went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA, where his research on laminar and turbulent flames earned him a ScD two years later.
He received his education at Westminster School, London, then studied mathematics and engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating with honors in 1934. He subsequently worked as an apprentice for Babcock & Wilcox Ltd., before continuing his studies at MIT in Cambridge, MA, where he earned a ScD degree after two years of research on laminar and turbulent flames.