His aunt, Emma Jane Common, was the wife of the Nonconformist divine, Joseph Parker.
In 1911, he joined the Territorial Army as a second lieutenant in the 3rd Northumbrian (County of Durham) Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery retiring at the end of the war with the rank of Major and he was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in 1917 for his services during World War I.
In the 1945 New Year Honours, Common was appointed a knight bachelor by George VI for his work with the Ministry of War Transport during World War II and knighted at Buckingham Palace in 1945.