Ward was born in Wanstead, Essex. He became an anarchist while in the British Army during World War II. As a subscriber to "War Commentary", the war-time equivalent of "Freedom", he was called in 1945 from Orkney, where he was serving, to give evidence at the London trial of the editors for publishing an article allegedly intended to seduce soldiers from their duty or allegiance. Ward robustly repudiated any seduction, but the three editors (Philip Sansom, Vernon Richards and John Hewetson) were convicted and sentenced to nine months imprisonment.