Biography:
Harold Edward Pope was born 30 May 1882, the son of the Reverend Arthur Frederick Pope of Tring; his mother was Catherine Isabella Ellen Pope, daughter of Major James Rose, of Nairn in Scotland.
He came to Winchester College from Mr TH Mason's school at Rottingdean in September 1895 and was in I House, Turner's. He played soccer for his house and left school in the summer of 1900 for New College, Oxford.
Harold was always a keen student of natural sciences and gained a First in the Natural Science School in 1904. His chosen career was as a mining engineer, and after a course at the Royal School of Mines, South Kensington, went to Borneo in the service of the Borneo Company, and subsequently joined a large gold and oil company in Sumatra as a geologist.
On the outbreak of war he returned to England and joined the Inns of Court O.T.C. After a period of training with them, he was given a commission in the Royal Garrison Artillery and went to France in June 1915 to join a heavy battery. As Acting Captain he was awarded the M.C. in 1917, the citation reading: 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He showed the greatest personal courage and presence of mind in climbing on to the top of a blazing gun-pit and extinguishing a fire which was threatening to blow up the whole of the ammunition at any moment. There were thirty rounds of high-explosive shell in the blazing pit whilst he was standing on the top'. He won a bar to his M.C. in February 1918 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He kept his battery in action under direct machine-gun and snipers’ fire, and checked the enemy’s advance. He did not cease fire till the enemy was within two hundred yards and the infantry had withdrawn through his position. He then personally superintended the dismantling of his guns'.
Harold fell at Bayon-Villers, near Amiens, on 24 August 1918. At the time he was acting as the Heavy Artillery Liaison Officer of 32nd Division.