Sir Edward Willis Duncan Ward, 1st Baronet (17 December 1853 – 11 September 1928) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer and military administrator, serving as

Permanent Secretary A permanent secretary is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day activities. Permanent secretaries are ...

of the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

. He was a notable reformer of army administration, improving efficiency of mobilization, medical services and supplies.

Military career

Ward was born in

Oban Oban ( ; meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William, Highland, Fort William. During the tourist seaso ...

, Argyllshire, Scotland in 1853, the only son of Lieutenant John Ward, RN, by his wife Mary Hope Bowie. He was commissioned sub-lieutenant in the 2nd Royal Lanarkshire Militia in December 1873, and transferred to the

2nd West India Regiment The West India Regiments (WIR) were infantry units of the British Army recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927. In 1888 the two West India Regiments then in existence were reduced t ...

in February 1874. In April 1874 he transferred into the

Control Department The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and do ...

as a Sub-Assistant Commissary, transferring to the new Commissariat and Transport Department in 1875, although he did not resign his militia commission until December 1874. He was promoted Assistant Commissary in 1876. In January 1880 the department changed its name to the Commissariat and Transport Staff and Ward became a Deputy Assistant Commissary-General in the new organisation. In April 1885 Commissariat and Transport Staff officers were given honorary military rank and Ward also became a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. He was with

Sir Garnet Wolseley Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley (4 June 183325 March 1913) was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He became one of the most influential British generals after a series of victories in Canada, West Africa and E ...

's expedition up the Nile to recapture

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...

. In December 1885 he was promoted to Assistant Commissary-General and

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. In December 1888 the department underwent yet another change, becoming the Army Service Corps, with its officers now holding full military rank. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel in June 1890. He went on the

Ashanti Expedition The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan interior of the Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African allies. Despite initial Ashanti victories ...

in West Africa in 1895–1896. Ward returned to England and was promoted to brevet

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in March 1898.

Boer War

Ward sailed with the first ships to Cape Town Harbour in September 1899. After the

Siege of Ladysmith The siege of Ladysmith was a protracted engagement in the Second Boer War, taking place between 2 November 1899 and 28 February 1900 at Ladysmith, Natal. Boer invasion of Natal Outbreak of war The Second Boer War began on 11 October 1899 wh ...

, Sir George White called him 'the greatest supply officer since Moses'. In 1900 while on campaign he was appointed Director of Supplies to the South African Field Force by Lord Roberts. Ward had begun life in the administration of military supplies. His organizational abilities were quickly discovered by after the chaotic state of affairs in 1899, the changes were most welcome. Lord Salisbury directed him to take up the position of Permanent Under-secretary at the War Office under Secretary St John Brodrick.

Civil career

After retiring from the Army, Ward joined the staff of the War Office, becoming Permanent-under-Secretary. When war broke out in 1914, he was asked by Lord Kitchener what preparations needed to be made for the troops expected to arrive from various countries in the British Empire who would be camped on

Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, but st ...

before being dispatched to the front line in Europe. Among Ward's suggestions was meeting the troops' needs for reading materials to be provided there. When the decision was taken, after the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

entered the war, to divert the

ANZAC The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...

troops to

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, the original proposal was expanded and became what was known as the Camp's Library, which provided books and magazines to troops in base camps and Prisoner of War Camps in all the theatres of war. This was one of several voluntary organisations providing similar services, for example to troops in hospitals and convalescent centres. The scale and range of volunteering during the war and the range of services provided was unprecedented and became so chaotic that the government had to legislate to control it and appointed Ward as Director General of Voluntary Organisations in 1915. EdwardWardBrompton01

In 1915, he was elevated to the baronetage as the 1st Baronet of Wilbraham Place. In 1919 he was appointed a

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

. After the war, in retirement, Ward became Commander-in-Chief of the Special Constables, holding that office until 1925, and was a President of the

Union Jack Club The Union Jack Club is a private members club in central London, England, for enlisted / non-commissioned ( other ranks) serving and veteran members of the His Majesty's Armed Forces and their families. Located adjacent to London Waterloo rai ...

, and Chairman of the

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales which promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest a ...

Family

In 1880 he married Florence Caroline Simons (1858–1934). He died unexpectedly while visiting

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son, Captain Edward Simons Ward (1882–1930). Together with

Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, (26 February 1875 – 21 July 1930), styled Lord Frederick Blackwood between 1888 and 1918, was a British soldier and politician. He died in an aircraft crash in 1930 ...

and Viscountess Ednam, he died when their aeroplane returning to London from

Le Touquet Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (, Picard language, Picard: ''Ech Toutchet-Paris-Plache''), commonly referred to as Le Touquet (), is a Communes of France, commune near Étaples, in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, northern France. ...

exploded in midair over

Meopham Meopham is a large linear village and civil parish in the Gravesham, Borough of Gravesham in north-west Kent, England, lying to the south of Gravesend. The parish covers , and comprises two villages and two smaller settlements; it had a popula ...

, Kent. Captain Ward was succeeded in the baronetcy by his younger brother, Melvill Willis Ward (1885–1973), as the 3rd Baronet. The title became extinct on his brother's death.

Decorations

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...

(CB) 1886 *

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

(KCB) 29 November 1900, ''in recognition of services in connection with the Campaign in South Africa 1899-1900'' *

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(KCVO) 1907 *

(GBE) 1919

References

External links

Sir Edward's Inspection 1914
Retrieved on 22 July 2016.
Knighthood 1914
Retrieved on 22 July 2016.
Obituary Sir Edward Ward
Retrieved 22 July 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, 1st Baronet of Wilbraham Place, Sir Edward 1853 births 1928 deaths People from Oban Nobility from Argyll and Bute Royal Army Service Corps officers

401 __NOTOC__ Year 401 ( CDI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vincentius and Fravitus (or, less frequently, year 1154 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...

Burials at Brompton Cemetery Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for War Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Deaths from foodborne illnesses British Army personnel of the Mahdist War British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army Commissariat officers RSPCA workers