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As a child his interests were centred round mechanics, and having served as an apprentice to William Derry, ship builders in Dumbarton, he entered the service of the P & O Steamship Company. As engineer to the TANGORE he was involved in the riots at Alexandria, when she was acting as a requisitioned hotel ship for Civil Refugees, the Shelling of which he described as "most unpleasant". With nothing but a stick he passed unscathed through the mob of angry Arabs and managed to rejoin his ship. The Countess of Roden, who lived in Venice, used to entertain him when his ship was in Trieste and referred to him as "bright happy, genial and affectionate youth".

He was persuaded to accept the position of Engineer Director of the Arsenal at Khartoun, where he apparently restored order out tof chaos so well that General Hicks persuaded him to join his expedition to kordofan, as his engineer, particularly over water, an indispensable requirement in the desert. This expedition consisted of Egyptian Troops with a smattering of British Officers and civilian attachments such as Walter Glaas. It was badly organised and having crossed the Nile fell into the hands of a guide who (as an agent of the enemy) ensured that they were almost killed to a man while bivouacked at night.

It took some time for the news of his death to be finally confirmed, although anticipated in the Greenock Telegraph in November, 1883. (The Major, his father was in residence there at the time)