Wounded in the back in June 1917, he was invalided to England to convalesce. Upon recovery, he commanded reserve battalions at the NZEF bases in England. He returned to France in March 1918 as a temporary major and took up command of a company. By this stage of the war, he had been recommended for command of a battalion. In August 1918, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed commander of 4th Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade. A month later, during the Hundred Days Offensive, he was awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his leadership when dealing with a German counterattack near Havrincourt Wood. In the capture of Le Quesnoy, the New Zealand Division's last action of the war, he led his battalion over the ramparts of Le Quesnoy. He was later mentioned in despatches for his role in this engagement. While the New Zealand Division was on occupation duty in Germany, he coordinated an education program for its soldiers until he returned to New Zealand and was discharged from the NZEF.