Faʻamaeʻa le fuaiupu lea: Na auai i le Staff College, Camberley mai le 1931 i le 1932, faatasi ai ma Brian Horrocks, Sidney Kirkman, Cameron Nicholson ma Thomas Rees, na vaʻaia foi e Dowler le tautua malosi i le Taua Lona Lua a le Lalolagi, muamua i le 1939 o le Commanding Officer (CO) o le 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment ona avea ai lea o se General Staff Officer (GSO) ma le 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. I le 1940 na siitia ai o ia i le tulaga o le Brigadier ma tautua ai i le General Staff o le V Corps ma, siitia i le aso 1 Oketopa 1940 i le tulaga o le Colonel, mulimuli ane na ia faatonuina le 2nd Infantry Brigade. Sa aafia o ia i le
O le malaga a Narvik i le 1940, o se vaega o le Taua a Nouei. I le 1942 na avea ai o ia ma General Officer Commanding (GOC) o le 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division ona avea ai lea o ia ma Major-General e nafa ma le Pulega o le Southern Command. Na tofia o ia e pule i le pulega mo le Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) i le 1944.