Records in the UK National Archives show his home address was Thornwood, Epping, Essex with next of kin Mrs G. Neale, his mother. His occupation prior to WWI was Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, and his initial service during the Great War was in the Army Service Corps Motor Transport as a probationary 2nd Lieutenant. He changed to the Royal Flying Corps as a pilot, and by the end of the war had flown numerous aircraft types including De Havilland DH4, DH6, DH9, DH9A, B.E.2E, RE8, Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8, Bristol Monoplane, Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Camel, and Avro 504. On 1 April 1918, the RFC merged with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) to become the Royal Air Force, subsequently Neale's official rank became Flying Officer and he was an assistant Instructor at No.1 Training Depot Stati