Born on 14 October 1875, he won a Grierson bursary at Edinburgh University in 1893 and qualified in 1898. After a term as assistant house surgeon at Cardiff Royal Infirmary in 1899 he attended the Yorkshire College, now Leeds University, and proceeded to the Edinburgh MD in 1905. While at Leeds he made friends with Berkeley Moynihan and they married sisters, daughters of T R Jessop FRCS. He settled in general practice at Shipley near Bradford, where he made his life's career. He became assistant surgeon to the Children's Hospital and surgeon in charge of the electrical department at the Royal Infirmary, Bradford, and surgeon to Sir Titus Salt's Hospital, Shipley. He also held many local public appointments such as surgeon to the Post Office and the Railway companies. During the war of 1914-18 he served in the RAMC and was promoted Major. He was President of the Bradford Medico-chirurgical Society, and Chairman of the Bradford division of the British Medical Association 1937-38, and was elected a life member of the BMA in 1958. Ward-Smith took a prominent part in local affairs, and was a connoisseur of wine. He died on 14 March 1960 at the Duke of York's Home, Bradford aged 84, survived by his son and two daughters.