Frederick Godsalve Ward was born at West Byfleet, Surrey, on 30 November 1909, the son of Dr Vere Godsalve Ward, a general practitioner, and his wife Janey, née Corry. He was educated at Rugby School before going up to New College, Oxford, for his pre-clinical studies. After leaving Oxford he went to St Bartholomew's Hospital, where his father had been the first house surgeon to Sir Anthony Bowlby, and he qualified in 1935. His early appointments were as house surgeon to Girling Ball and JB Hume. Later he was registrar to the accident and orthopaedic department at the Royal Hospital, Sheffield, under Sir Frank Holdsworth and surgical registrar to the orthopaedic department of Manchester Royal Infirmary under Sir Harry Platt. He passed the FRCS in 1939. During the war years he served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a surgical specialist with the rank of Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander, initially at sea in HMS *Belfast* and later in shore stations. After demobilisation he was appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Ashford Hospital, Middlesex, and at Hounslow Hospital and Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot. In addition to a heavy clinical commitment he served for eight years as secretary to the North West Metropolitan Region Orthopaedic Club and contributed a number of articles to professional journals on a wide range of orthopaedic topics. He retired from practice in 1969 and thereafter lived in Dorset. He enjoyed photography and golf and, on retirement, became District Scout Commissioner. He married Pamela Tooth in 1937 and they had two sons, John and Michael, and a daughter, Jennifer. He died at home on 2 July 1989, aged 79, survived by his wife, children and three grandchildren, Christopher, Andrew and Katharine.