Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Alms akaberekerwa muGosport, Hampshire musi wa15 July 1728, mwanakomana waJohn naMary Alms. Baba vake vanonzi vaiva mushandi waDuke weRichmond. Pashure penguva yaakashanda mungarava dzevatengesi akapinda muuto rehondo muna 1740, achibatanidza 74-gun, uye pazera remakore gumi nemana akaverengerwa midshipman uye achishanda semubatsiri wechikamu kuna Captain Charles Watson, we 60-gun muMediterranean. Akaona chiito paHondo yeToulon musi wa22 Kukadzi 1744 uye akarumbidzwa nemutungamiri wake nekuda kwezviito zvake mukubatana. Ipapo akabatana ne74-gun, achishumira nechikepe chaAdmiral George Anson pamhenderekedzo yeFrance. Ngarava yaAnson yakasangana neyechiFrench pa
Hondo yokutanga yeCape Finisterre musi wa14 Chivabvu 1747, ichikunda zvine mutsindo uye ichitora ngarava dzehondo dzeFrance nevatengesi. Alms akagara mu"Namur", uye akaenda naye muna October gore rakatevera kuEast Indies naAdmiral Edward Boscawen. "Namur" yakanga iri imwe yengarava nhatu dzakapunzika pamhenderekedzo yeCoromandel mudutu musi wa 12 April 1749, naAlms mumwe we23 chete akaponeswa kubva ku"Namur". Akakwidziridzwa kuva lieutenant musi wa14 Chivabvu 1749 mumashure medambudziko, uye akapiwa ku, frigate inodzokera kuEngland muchirimo cha1752.