Mk.III Pope (Maurice Pope)
Maurice Arthur Pope, M.C.: "Mk.III Pope" in the diary, a nickname distinguishing him from other Popes. Born 29 August 1889 at Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, the son of Sir Joseph Pope, K.C.M.G. (Sir John A. Macdonald's private secretary and Canada's first Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs), he took a B.Sc. in engineering from McGill in 1911 and was commissioned into the Canadian Engineers in 1915. He crossed to France with Robertson on January 3, 1916 (the diary notes "Pope, Bull & Cassels" as seasick casualties of a rough Channel crossing), a group also named in a March 1916 McGill Daily letter, and won the Military Cross. He went on to a distinguished career: a lieutenant-general in the Second World War, and afterwards Canadian ambassador to Belgium and to Spain.
Appears in the diary · 4 entries
1916
- 1 January 1916… to make some final purchases. - After lunch strafed under[?] Bill Powell + Munny at 7’s up. - Walked in town with MKIII. - Rec’d notification of arrival of [?] of apples at Stn. - Also card from Ernie says 3rd …
- 3 January 1916… It hit Henshaw pretty hard to be left behind. My holdall split before it was on the boat. Fairly rough crossing. Pope, Bull & Cassels casualties. I was foolish + wouldn’t. - Arr’d Boulogne about 1. - Put up …
- 24 February 1916… w. moved out from Anti A. fm. last night . - Alex, Cur, Pepler & self went into Baileuil for bath this aft. - Met Mk.III Pope & John Gwynn. - Found a new place to tea. Went to the show - Dined at the Faucon. - Met t …
1917
- 17 May 1917… time there is a vacancy in a company. Stock got away to Canada to-day so that just leaves Fether, Cassells, Page, Pope & myself out of the 12 of us that came out on 3/1/16 – Cassells is in England on command …