Born on 29th March 1890 Ernest Edward Miller was the youngest child of William George Miller, an Inspector in the Metropolitan Police force, and Emily Herbert in Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell Essex.

In 1901 the young Ernest had moved with the rest of his family to South St. Pancras, London. By this time his father had been promoted to Sub-Divisional Inspector, a rank apparently equivalent of the present-day Chief Inspector.

By the time of his 21st birthday the family had once again moved, this time to Clerkenwell. His sister Daisy Helen had, by this time, married William Lewis, a police sergeant, and was living in Whitechapel. His father had been retired from the police since 1902 and was working as an enquiry officer for the local borough council.

During World War 1 Ernest served as Private 202865 Ernest Edward Miller with D Company, 16 Platoon, 2/2 London Regiment, Royal Fusilier's with the British Expeditionary Force in France. He was taken prisoner in March 1918, probably during the German offensive of 1918 when some 21,000 men were captured, and was held as a prisoner of war at Gefangenenlager Stendal (prison camp Stendal) in Germany until the war ended in November 1918.

While he was a POW Ernest sent at least two cards to his family. The first was a standard card to let his family know he had be captured and that he was “sound”. The second, written in pencil on 9 October 1918 reads, “Dear Mum, Dad and All, Once again a few lines. Not much for I am too fed up. I have not had a reply from you and do hope I shall get one shortly. In the meantime I suppose we must be as happy and patient as we can. I hope that you are all quite well and I shall soon see you all again. Bye bye your Son and Brother Ernie.” The card had to be redirected as it seems that the family had moved from 3 Orchard Maisonettes, Hortus Road in Southall to 24 St. Johns Road. The family move may be the reason why there seems to have been a delay in any letters reaching Ernest in the POW camp.

He married the pregnant Caroline Jane Smith on 29 October 1919. To prevent any “scandal” their first child, Ernest William Thomas, who was brought up by his grandfather, William George, and two of his aunts (see Ernest William's own account of these events - Barry). Barbara tells me that even though EWT was not brought up by Ernest and Caroline “he was always our big brother”.

At some time, according to several of his daughters, Ernest tried his hand as an actor in Westcliffe-on-Sea. When this happened is still to be determined.

Caroline and Ernest where a devoted couple, bringing up their other 11 children in a loving atmosphere and ensuring that someone was at home when the children returned home from school. Barbara in particular remembers him as always sitting in his chair by the fireplace.

There is a family account that Ernest once saved a person from an iced over pond. At the time he was living with his wife and five of his children in a single room in an end of terrace house owned by a Mrs. Hunt. The house is thought to have been next to the Odeon Cinema. This would have been about 1931. The story continues that he was accompanied by a "Bunny" Parlow who is thought to have got the credit for the act. The actual location of the pond is not precise though it may have been either a water hazard on a nearby golf course or the local Mill Pond.

For sometime before his death Ernest and Caroline lived at 25 Norman Avenue in Southall.

Ernest died on 11 February 1951 of “acute and chronic bronchitis” in Hillingdon Hospital. He was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium on the 19 February 1951 and his ashes were scattered.

©Barry Miller 2009