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Harold POPE was born in Ealing, Middlesex, England on 16 October 1873, the son of a solicitor. He was educated at Thanet Lodge, Margate, and St Savior's College, Ardingly, Sussex. At age 16 he joined the Great Northern railway as a clerk. He emigrated to Western Australia in 1895 where he joined the railways. Pope was commissioned into the Western Australian Military Forces as a second lieutenant in July 1900. He was rapidly promoted and became a lieutenant colonel on 13 March 1908. Pope joined the AIF on 17 September 1914 as commander of the 16th Infantry Battalion, a Western Australia battalion of Colonel J. Monash's 4th Infantry Brigade. The battalion departed Melbourne for Egypt on 22 December 1914 where it trained until called forward for service at Gallipoli. For his command of the 52nd Battalion, Pope was mentioned in dispatches in December. On 21 August 1918, Pope again got himself appointed to transport duty on troop ships. He returned to Australia for the last time on 4 January 1919. On 1 September 1919, Pope became acting commissioner of railways in Western Australia and was confirmed in office six months later. Due to the railways operating at a huge financial loss, he was investigated by a Royal Commission in 1922, which cleared him of blame. Pope remained commissioner until he retired in 1928 due to failing health. Pope was honorary colonel of the 16th Battalion from 1925 to 1930, and aide de camp to the Governor General in 1926. He died in Perth on 13 May 1938 and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.