On leaving school joined the Kenya Regt. in March 1945, went to the battle school at Lanet and thence was transferred on secondment to the Royal Engineers - Movement Control group where he saw service with them at Nairobi and Mombasa till he was discharged in February 1948. Joined the Survey of Kenya in early 1949 and later joined the Nairobi firm of MacCulley Hunter & Partners, Chartered Surveyors, and whilst land surveying for this firm the Emergency was declared in October 1952. John, being a Kenya Police Reservist, was recalled by the Police and saw service with them as a member of "D" Force in the Aberdares and Mt. Kenya operational areas. After being with "D" Force for several months was released to the Kenya Regt. who were forming a Survey Unit charged with the task of providing "ground truth" information so that large scale maps of the troubled areas could be made from airial photographs. When this task was basically completed towards mid 1954 John was transferred to "O" Coy. Kenya Regt. as a platoon commander and was released from his army duties in March 1955. John next joined the Caltex Oil Co. in April 1955 and saw service with them in Kenya, Tanganyika, South Africa and Malawi before retiring in 1992 after 37 years service.