John was called into service on 15 April 1943, assigned regimental number 14583671. His basic training was in Manchester. He was then posted on 01 November 1943, to 211 Battery of the 53rd (Worcester Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment Royal Artillery – main artillery support for 6th Airborne Division.

06 June 1944: OP MALLARD (codename given to the airborne operation undertaken by 6th Airborne Division as part of the D-Day landings) – landed in a glider near the villages of Benouvillle and Ranville. Remained in Normandy until September 1944 when he returned to the UK.

23 December 1944: left UK for the Ardennes – landed near Dinat in support of 6th Airlanding Brigade and 5th Parachute Regiment. Returned to UK in February 1945.

24 March 1945: OP VARSITY – Airborne crossing of the Rhine landing at LZ ‘P’ proceeded through to the Wismar on the Baltic Sea. Deployed continuously until returning to Bulford UK in late May 1945.

29 September 1945: Deployed to Palestine with 6th Airborne Division until 1947.

21 September 1947: Transferred to Army Reserve (Demobbed) with rank of W/Sgt.