After receiving air crew instruction at various training schools in Canada, he graduated in early 1941, as a pilot, from No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario.

After arriving overseas in February 1941, and receiving further training, he was posted to No. 92 Squadron, Fighter Command, on May 5, 1941.

The Battle of Britain had begun on August 8, 1940 and the mass formation bombing raids ended in early October. By that time Fighter Command’s involvement in the Battle of Britain had ended. Hence pilot Archer, arriving in February 1941, had missed the big battle because it was over almost five months before he arrived in the UK.

However, from May 1941 until June, 17, 1943 when Archer was killed in action, Fighter Command pilots were engaged in intruder sweeps south and east across the Channel to the coast of France, to strike inland at various chosen targets such as a factory, a railroad junction, an airfield and sometimes a power station.

With their machine guns and cannon, they would spray barges and freight trains, flak posts and soldiers at drill. By this daily offensive, the RCAF compelled the German Air Force to maintain in western Europe, large numbers of fighters which could otherwise be used to support the German army in its campaign against Russia.

Fighter Command aircraft also attacked enemy ship convoys, as well as escorting bombers on daylight raids.

From May 1941 to November 11, 1941, Archer while with No. 92 Squadron, destroyed three enemy planes and damaged another. From November 11, 1941 to March 1942 he was a flight commander with No 416 Squadron. He was posted at Station Kenley on December 1, 1942.

By July 18, 1942 Archer had destroyed four enemy planes and had damaged one other. On February 9, 1943 he was presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). His citation reads as follows: