Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Awarded Military Cross
'At Delville Wood from February 26th to March 7th 1917, this officer controlled the Brigade Soup Kitchen under very trying conditions, and daily being subjected to very heavy enemy shell fire.
At Bapaume on March 19th, 48 hours after its capture by our troops, Chaplain Ward established a Soup Kitchen on the Eastern edge of the town, and although he was constantly under heavy shell fire he never failed in administering to the comfort of the troops.

At Baugny, a few hours after its occupation by our troops, this Officer established his Soup Kitchen. During the night the village was heavi​ly shelled by the enemy, and he was forced to evacuate his position. A few minutes after the bombardment had ceased, he was again at his post supplying the troops with hot soup. The untiring energy and devotion to duty displayed by this Officer during the winter campaign in the Somme, won for him the admiration of all ranks.'
Mentioned in Despatches
'The work of Chaplain Ward deserves special mention. During the period November 21st to December 12th 1916, this officer had charge of the soup kitchen at WATERLOT FARM and worked day and night, not only in providing hot soup and drinks to men of all units returning from the trenches, but also in helping to keep up the morale of all ranks by his cheerful disposition, and unremitting attention. In addition to this his services were being continually requisitioned by Brigade Headquarters to read Burial Services, in different localities, and in all sorts of weather.'
Returned to Australia 10 September 1917

Mr. C. J. Shakespeare paid tribute to Canon Frederick Greenfield Ward, who died in England just before the last session of synod.
Mr. Shakespeare described Canon Ward as the "pioneer rector of the new Canberra".
Canon Ward had been rector of Canberra from 1913 to 1929, and saw the commencement of the great foundation, works of the national capital, Mr. Shakespeare said. "It was a period of challenge to his energy and ability—one that he met worthily," he said.
As chaplain to the 30th Battalion in France in the.1914-18 War, he was awarded the Military Cross and mentioned in despatches.
A memorial which he left was a small window in St. John's. The window was composed of fragments of cathedral glass from ruins in France, Mr. Shakespeare said.

The Canberra Times Wednesday 08 April 1964 page 4

The Reverend Fred Ward was born in Acton, England in 1876, the son of John and Elizabeth Ward. He was rector at St. John the Baptist Church of England from 1913 until 1929. He came to Australia around the turn of the century and commenced his theological studies at Bishop's College in Goulburn where he was made a deacon in 1905. He worked in parishes at Wagga Wagga, Temora and Barmedman before arriving in Canberra. In September 1915 Ward was part of the funeral service for Sir William Throsby Bridges, a former parishioner when he was commandant of the Royal Military College, at St. John's Church. After enlisting in October 1915, Ward was given a travelling chalice and paten by his parishioners. He served as a Chaplain 4th Class attached to the 32nd Battalion in Egypt and with the 8th Brigade in France and Belgium from June 1916 until September 1917. He was described by one of the men as "bright - men have a great down on dopes; he is sincere - men soon detect unreality; he is enthusiastic - men like a man who means business. He thinks of the physical; knows that a good feed does more good than a sermon at times; he realises that men are human, and will have sport. The boys know his worth and trust him." According to Stanley, in 1917 he toured AIF camps in Britain and the Western Front delivering lectures enjoining soldiers to continence. He told troops that "any man who deliberately satisfies his own animal lust and robs a girl of her greatest possession - her purity - was, he swore, a 'bloody skunk'", although Ward's grandson believes that the reference is to Fred's brother John who also served as a chaplain during the war. On 9 May 1917 Ward received special mention in Sir Douglas Haig's despatches and was awarded the Military Cross in 1918 for his work in running a soup kitchen at Delville Wood, Bapaume and Beugny despite being "constantly under heavy shell fire". He was presented with the Military Cross at a ceremony held on the parade ground at RMC in April 1919.

He returned to Australia in November 1917 and his appointment was terminated due to medical unfitness. He married Margery Towle on 28 January 1918 in New Zealand and then resumed his duties at St. John's. In 1929 Canon Ward and his family left for England. They lived at Southwark, where he was the incumbent at Christ Church Brockham Green (1929-36), then in Docking in Norfolk (1936-50) and finally as curate-in-charge sequestration at Bagthorpe near Norwich (1950-56). He died at Norwich Hospital on 7 February 1963. Fred Ward Gardens retirement village in Curtin is named in his honour. His son Edwin, who was born in Canberra in 1919, also entered into Holy Orders and served as Chaplain to the Queen (1955-89).

http://www.memorial.act.gov.au/search/person/ward-frederick-greenfield (www.memorial.act.gov.au)