James Keith (Joe) Ward joined the RNZAF on 26 October 1940 and trained as a pilot in New Zealand. He was commissioned in April 1941 and joined No. 3 (GR) Squadron.

Joe remained with No. 3 (GR) Squadron until he was posted to No. 9 (GR) Squadron at Plaines de Gaiacs, New Caledonia in September 1942. Joe returned to New Zealand in December 1942 following an aircraft crash and served the following year as an instructor at 2 EFTS Ashburton and with the Air Training Corps Touring Flight.

In February 1944, Joe joined No. 3 (BR) Squadron as an operations officer and served overseas with the squadron in the New Hebrides, Solomons and Bismarcks. Following the tour, Joe was released from the RNZAF by arrangement on 12 February 1945.

After the war, Joe served as an air traffic controller and civil aviation administrator until his retirement in 1983. As part of Joe's air traffic control duties, Joe was a member of the Territorial Air Force and was senior air traffic control officer at RNZAF station Ohakea between 1963 - 1965 (holding the rank of squadron leader). AWMM