Ernest was born at Pershore, Worcestershire on the 11th of July 1884, and was the son of Charles Wilson.  He was working as an engine driver when he married his wife Annie Wilmot in 1910. They lived at 3 Addison Street, Tibshelf, Derbyshire.  In the 1911 census, he was living at King Street, Tibshelf, where he worked as a steam boiler driver with the County Council.  

He enlisted with The Sherwood Forsters and served with the 2nd Battalion. The Battalion saw much action, including at: Hooge in the Ypres Salient (1915), Battle of the Somme (1916) and Kemmel.   

Ernest survived the war. It is also reputed that Ernest delivered a steam roller from somewhere in the South to Derbyshire County Council and being the only man who could drive it, they persuaded him to stay in Derbyshire as its driver. He died of natural causes on the 23rd of March 1971 aged 86 years.