Subject

The photo shows Ernie with his wife Lily on their wedding day before he went to war. He was captured in Singapore in 1942. From the Picture source: "Mr Neighbour grew up in the Caledonian Road area and married his sweetheart, Lily, before shipping out. Captured at the age of 22, he was taken to Changi with thousands of others to work on the Burma Railway." He survived but there you can read about his awful experiences.

Our colleague, Andrew Behan, informs us that Ernest George Neighbour was born on 5 January 1917, the eldest of the three children of Ernest George Neighbour (1891-1968) and Elizabeth Maud Neighbour née Redhead (1886-1957). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1917 in the Islington registration district. His siblings were Maud Elizabeth Neighbour (1920-2014) and William Henry Neighbour (1922-2012).

Electoral registers in 1918 list his father at 1 Crane Grove, London, N7, whilst in 1919 his father was registered as an absent voter serving in the 1st/22nd (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (The Queen's), service number 698207, with the same qualifying address of 1 Crane Grove, N7. Registers from 1920 to 1922 show his parents at 5 Crane Grove, N7 and from 1924 to 1930 at 59 Rhodes Street, N7. From 1931 to 1935 they are recorded at 38 Canonbury Square, London, N1 and from 1936 at 78 Canonbury Road, N1.

In the 1939 England and Wales Register he is shown as a railway porter living at 78 Canonbury Road, N1, with his parents and his brother. His father was recorded as a railway parcel porter and his brother was described as a tool maker (motor engr).

He married Margaret Lily Stanley (1918-2010), the marriage being registered in the 4th quarter of 1939 in the Bedford registration district, Bedfordshire, and they went to live at 3 Gladwin House, Werrington Street, London, NW1. He served as a Private in the 5th Battalion, The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, service number 5951634, and landed in Singapore on 29 January 1942 but was made a prisoner of war two weeks later, aged 25 years. (The newspaper article in our picture source was incorrect when they claimed he was aged 22 years).

After the war he was returned to the United Kingdom and he and his wife had two children, Ernest G. Neighbour (b.1946) and Linda A. Neighbour (b.1949). Electoral registers in 1946 list him and his wife at 1 College Place, London, NW1, but from 1947 to 1965 at 8 Marsden Street, London, NW5.

He died, aged 80 years, on 19 December 1997, his death being registered in the Islington registration district and was cremated on 30 December 1997 in Islington.