He commanded an Indian division in the 1941 conquest of the Vichy French territory of Syria. In early 1942 he joined the Burma Campaign, and in 1943 took command of the 14th Army. After the victory at Kohima he pushed down the Irrawaddy River to recapture Rangoon and most of Burma. After the war he became Chief of the Imperial General Staff (1948–52) and Governor-General of Australia (1953–60).