He was the son of a wool merchant and was educated at Street George"s School, Harpenden, Hertfordshire before service in the Royal Air Force during World World War II as a navigator with 96 Squadron and 255 Squadron where he had the nickname "Quack" Drake and was a participant in an incident known as Farmer and Quack"s Concert.
He mainly flew in Bristol Beaufighter aircraft and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He then graduated from Exeter College, Oxford and was Called to the Bar at Lincoln"s Inn in 1950 and joined the practice where Quintin Hogg was the Head of Chambers, he then became a Queen's Counsel and succeeded him. He was appointed a High Court Judge of the Queen's Bench Division in 1978 where one of his first cases was the murder of Carl Bridgewater. He also served as the Mayor of Street Albans.
