Both his sporting career and his professional life were interrupted by the imminent outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, and in his official capacity as Lord Mayor's secretary he was asked to help start the Humber Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in readiness for hostilities. He joined them on 12 June 1939, as a payroll lieutenant initially assigned to the light cruiser moored in Hull docks. However, after the war began, he was transferred to , based at Scapa Flow, and saw service on the "Northern Patrol", which protected convoys of Allied ships from German vessels sent to attack.