 He was educated at Tellisford House School, Bristol, the South-West London College at Barnes, and at the University of London, where he took a BA.From 1935 to 1940, Pine was an assistant editor at Burke's Peerage Ltd. During World War II he was an officer in the Royal Air Force intelligence branch, serving in North Africa, Italy, Greece, and India; he retired with the rank of Squadron Leader.After the war and until 1960, he was Burke's executive director.