He was born Arthur Ewart Hugh Popham in Plymouth, England on 22 March 1889, as the only son of Arthur Frederick Popham and Florence Amelia Radford.

They divorced in 1924, when this was still a matter of some social consequence and required a hearing in court.

[8] In 1912, Popham joined the Department of Prints and Drawings of the British Museum.

[10][6] At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Popham joined the Royal Naval Air Service.

[11] He moved to the Royal Air Force upon its creation in 1918 with the rank of captain.