Douglas was educated at Owens College, Manchester, where he qualified M.B. and Ch.B in 1905. He was then employed as house-surgeon at the Royal Hospital, Salford and as house-physician at the Royal Infirmary, Manchester, and went into practice at Sheringham, Norfolk. He took up a temporary commission within the R.A.M.C. at the rank of lieutenant on 26th September 1914. He accidentally drowned while on military duty at Harve. It was stated that it was a fine morning and so he went to bathe. He was seen to dive but never rose again, and though two of his colleagues went to his assistance, the body was not found until later about a hundred yards from the spot where he had disappeared. His body was received by No 1 General Hospital that evening. They concluded that the evidence pointed to heart failure. His funeral took place two days later, on the 26th. He was the only son of Douglas Wardleworth, M.D., J.P., and Annie Wardleworth of Bury, Lancs; and the husband of Mary Winifred Wardleworth of Welborne Rectory, Welborne, Dereham, Norfolk.