 He was born in Studdale, Waldershare, Kent on 30 June 1916, son of Ernest and Christine Langford-Holt, and like most of his family educated at Shrewsbury School; his grandfather, George Jones Holt, had served as Mayor of Shrewsbury.During the Second World War, he served as a pilot, first in the Battle of Britain and later with the Fleet Air Arm.During his political career, his positions included serving on the Parliamentary Science Committee, the Estimates Committee, the Expenditure Committee and the Select Committee on Defence.