Prior to proceeding abroad in 1948 he held the appointment of Staff Officer Appoints on the Staff of Rear Admiral Battery Flag Officer Bombay and later was appointed First Lieutenant of the Naval Barracks. During this period he carried out the duties of Commander Barracks in addition to his duties as First Lieutenant, for two months, until a Commander was appointed to the post. In 1948 he was one of six officers selected from the entire Indian Navy for a period of training with the British Mediterranean Fleet, where he served for three months on HMS Ocean, an aircraft carrier. In the same year he was one of the officers selected for part of the crew that proceeded to the UK to bring back the first Indian cruiser, the INS Delhi (C74), to India. Whilst in the UK awaiting the commissioning of the INS Delhi, he did a Gunnery Course in Chatham. He was then the most junior officer of his branch wearing a "brass hat" in the Indian Navy. After a year serving on the INS Delhi, Simmons was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, a full year earlier than the normal course. In 1952 Simmons took command of the INS Bombay, a minesweeper, one of six at the time which composed the 31st Minesweeping Squadron. In October 1952 Simmons took charge of the entire Squadron from Captain Krishan DSC. During this time Simmons set a new record in the Indian Navy for berthing six ships at Cochin Jetty in 13 minutes. He then set another record at the Naval Docks in Bombay, where he brought the Squadron alongside the Breakwater at the Naval Docks in Bombay in close formation in 16 minutes, a feat that had never been attempted before. In late 1953 still as an Acting Commander, Simmons was appointed Training Commander on the Staff of the Commodore-in-charge Cochin...the first Indian Officer to hold this appointment. In 1954 he was asked to take over as Commander of the Naval Base at Cochin, INS Venduruthy. He was in charge of over a 1000 men and 100 officers. During this time at Cochin, Simmons received Marshal Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Lord Louis Mountbatten. In 1956 Simmons was appointed as Commander of the Naval Barracks at Bombay, in charge of 800 men and 150 officers. Simmons retired from the Navy in August 1957.  1939-1945 Star War Medal 1939–1945 Burma Star Indian Independence Medal Videsh Seva Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal  "Well known in Bombay social circles" Simmons had a successful career at Burma Shell and GAC (Gulf Agency Corporation) after the Navy.