Ernest was born on 13 October 1884 in Walton, Felixstowe.  He lived at 1 Forresters Cottages in Lower Street Walton, which is now Grange Road, with his carpenter father Charles William Barber and his mother Sarah Anne Tilby.  He has 3 sisters Ada, May, and Alice. Before joining the Army he worked as a Bathing Machine Attendant living at the Ferry Boat Inn at Felixstowe Ferry. He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds and joined 1st Battalion, Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex) Regiment.

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Ernest was killed in action on 23 April 1917, aged 32. He is buried at the Cojeul British Cemetery, St Martin-Sur-Cojuel.  His sister Alice married Arthur Juniper in October 1908, Arthur also died in the war in 1916 and is also named on the Felixstowe War memorial.