After the outbreak of the Second World War, French enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 22 October 1939, the first in Crow's Nest to do so. As a Queenslander, French was posted to the 2/9th Battalion, the first infantry battalion raised in Queensland during the war. In early May 1940, after completing training at Redbank, Queensland, the 2/9th Battalion received orders to deploy overseas. Embarking upon the "Mauritania", they sailed to the United Kingdom where the battalion formed part of an Australian contingent – part of the 6th Division – that were to help defend against a possible invasion following the fall of France. The invasion did not eventuate and in late 1940, the battalion – along with the rest of the 18th Brigade – were transferred to the Middle East. They reached Alexandria in late December and shortly after arrival, the battalion became part of the 7th Division.