Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of James Smith, a hosiery trade winder, born 1855 in Hinckley, Leics., and his wife Bethia, born 1862 in Sapcote, Leics. Ernest was born on the 18th September 1896 in Burbage, Leics., his siblings were, Clara, born 1888 and Gertrude, born 1895, both his siblings were born in Hinckley, Leics., in March 1901 the family home was at 9, Fox Yard, Hinckley, Leics. In April 1911 Ernest was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at 2, White Lion Yard, Lower Bond Street, Hinckley, Leics., together with his father, a hosiery trade winder, his mother a char woman and his siblings, Gertrude a hosiery trade worker and Clara, a hosiery trade worker. Ernest enlisted on the 31st July 1915 and embarked to join the Mediteranean Expeditionary Force on the 16th February 1916, joining his unit, the Nelson Battalion on the 1st March 1916 and serving with that unit until the 25th June 1916 when he was detached from active service suffering from pyrexia (elevation of body temperature), and was invalided to England on the 5th July 1916. He embarked to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 26th June 1917, and re-joined the Nelson Battalion on the 2nd August 1917 and served with that unit until he was killed in action on the 31st December 1917.