Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - An koyar da shi a Makarantar St Peter, York, Kwalejin Eton da Kwalejin Soja ta Royal, Sandhurst, Malcolm an ba shi izini a cikin Argyll da Sutherland Highlanders a matsayin na biyu a ranar 20 ga Fabrairu 1889. An daukaka shi zuwa laftanar a ranar 23 ga Agusta 1893. A cikin 1896 ya yi tafiya tare da Kyaftin Montagu Sinclair Wellby a fadin Tibet da arewacin China. Ya yi aiki tare da bataliya ta 2 a karkashin Sir William Lockhart a cikin Sojojin Tochi Field Force a Arewa maso Yammacin Indiya a 1897. Bayan wani lokaci a Uganda, inda ya gudanar da ayyuka a kasar Shuli, an nada shi a matsayin Abokin Kungiyar Sabis na Musamman (DSO) kuma ya zama kyaftin a ranar 21 ga Disamba, 1898. Ya yi aiki tare da sojan doki a cikin Yaƙin Boer na biyu a Afirka ta Kudu daga ƙarshen 1899, kuma ya shiga cikin Yaƙin Paardeberg.
a watan Fabrairun 1900, inda aka ji masa mummunan rauni da harbi a cinyarsa.