Ernest was born on the 16th October 1897 at 45 Station Road, Bolsover. He was the son of William and Annie (On the birth certificate Annie is listed as formerly Ward but marriage certificate shows her name as Lee). William was a coal miner. Ernest had three surviving siblings Ada, Elsie and Walter. Another brother died in infancy. Ernest’s occupation aged 13 in the 1911 census was errand boy. His employment when he enlisted was collier.

He joined the Royal Navy in February 1917 aged 19 as a stoker for the duration of hostilities. After training he joined HMS Achilles as a Stoker 1st class on the 25th March 1917. HMS Achilles was an armoured cruiser launched on the 17th June 1905. It was powered by four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines. The engines were powered by 19 Yarrow water-tube boilers and six cylindrical boilers.

At the start of the war Achilles was attached to the Grand Fleet but did not take part in the Battle of Jutland as she was refitting. On the 16th March 1917, Achilles and HMS Dundee were patrolling north of the Shetland Islands when they encountered the disguised German auxiliary cruiser Leopard. The latter ship heaved to when commanded, but manoeuvred to prevent Dundee from boarding her and then fired two torpedoes which missed. Dundee retaliated by raking Leopard's stern, badly damaging the German ship and then Achilles opened fire herself. The German ship sank an hour later with no survivors.

When Ernest joined Achilles shortly after this action she was based in the Shetland Islands patrolling in the North Sea. In August 1917 she sailed to Devonport for refitting and on the 5th September, she left for North America for convoy escort duties.

She escorted two convoys between New York and Liverpool in 1917. In January 1918 she sailed to Bermuda to pick up a cargo of ammunition and escort a convoy from New York to Glasgow. In March she was based in Scapa Flow on convoy covering duties until June. From June to August Achilles was refitting in Liverpool. She escorted another convoy from New York to Liverpool in September and was back in New York when the armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918. She returned to Portsmouth on the 15th December. Although Ernest did not see any action the escort ships played an important role in protecting the merchant convoys from U-boats.

Ernest was demobilized on the 14th February 1919 and the ship was decommissioned on the 31st March. Ernest returned to civilian life. He married Annie Barlow and had a son, also named Ernest in 1922. He died in 1980 at the age of 83.