[1] The son of Henry John Warde (a priest), he was born in Croydon, then part of Surrey,[2] educated at Tonbridge School and Keble College, Oxford; in 1915, he married Eileen (daughter of F.K.
In June 1916, he was interviewed for a commission as an Army Chaplain, was described as 'Young, bright fellow' and, although an Anglo-Catholic in a predominantly low-church organisation, he was appointed [5] and, in January 1917,posted to Salonika.
[6] He spent one year there, enjoying the considerable opportunities for sport, at which he excelled, but enduring the tragedies of serving near the front line, caring for the wounded, burying the dead and dodging machine gunner bullets.
[7] He returned to England in January 1918 and was posted to East Leeds Military Hospital, which had been established in an old workhouse.
He was consecrated a bishop on All Saints' Day 1946 (1 November) at Westminster Abbey;[13] he also became an honorary canon of Chichester Cathedral, 1947–1963.