Wade was serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II; stationed at RAF Credenhill in Herefordshire, he guested a few times for Southern League side Hereford United during this period as well.
Wade was a reserve full back and only played in a handful of matches during the 1940s; he made his debut in an FA Cup match against West Ham United on 5 January 1946; a mainly reserve Arsenal side were thrashed 6–0, which remains to this day Arsenal's worst FA Cup defeat in modern times.
Wade was a near ever-present and played 44 times as Arsenal won their seventh league title, pipping Preston North End on goal average; it would turn out to be their last trophy until 1970.
However, the following season, 1953-54, Wade himself injured his knee in a floodlit friendly against Queens Park Rangers and after recovering, he struggled to take his place back off Len Wills and a now-recovered Barnes.
At Hereford, he started the club's long-running tradition for knocking League sides out of the FA Cup, including Aldershot in 1956-57 and Queens Park Rangers in 1957-58.