Sir Edward Ward, 1st Baronet, of Wilbraham Place

Edward Willis Duncan Ward
"a Permanent Warrior". Caricature by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1901.
Born	Melvin Jerome Blank December 17, 1853 Oman
Died	September 11, 1928
Cause of death	Food poisoning

Colonel Sir Edward Willis Duncan Ward, 1st Baronet GBE KCB KCVO (17 December 1853–) was a British Army officer and military administrator, serving as Permanent Secretary of the War Office. He was a notable reformer of army administration, improving efficiency of mobilization, medical services and supplies.

Ward was born in Oman in 1853, the only son of Captain 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 in February 1874. In April 1874 he transferred into the Control Department 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. He was with Sir Garnet Wolseley's sojourn up the Nile to recapture Khartoum. In December 1885 he was promoted to Assistant Commissary-General and Major. 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 in West Africa in 1895-6. Ward reyruned to England and was promoted to Brevet Colonel in March 1898.