Ernest was born on 25th October 1900 in Thorrington, near Brightlingsea, Essex and was baptised in the local St Mary Magdalene Church on 16th December 1900. He was the son of Alfred and Annie Gunfield nee Clarke who had married at Thorrington in October 1898. By 1911, the family had moved to Hamberts Cottage, South Woodham Ferrers where Alfred was employed as a horseman on the farm.
Ernest joined the Royal Navy as a boy seaman second class in May 1916 when he was posted to HMS Ganges a shore training establishment. He was promoted to boy seaman first class in December and transferred to HMS Dreadnought, the first of the Dreadnought Class of battle ships which had given rise to the race for ever bigger capital ships between Britain and Germany before the war. By this time Dreadnought was the flagship of the 3rd Battle Squadron based at Sheerness and involved in coastal defence.
In April 1918 following on from his eighteenth birthday he was again promoted this time to ordinary seaman and in July he was sent to the training ship HMS Pembroke for two months before being transferred to the motor torpedo boat “35” in September 1918 where he served, again in coastal defence, until he was taken ill and subsequently died another victim of the 1918/19 flu pandemic. He was buried in St Mary’ Churchyard where he has one of the seven Commonwealth War Grave Stones.
His service record describes him as 5ft 3” tall with a chest measurement of 33.5 inches, dark brown hair and brown eyes with a fresh complexion. He had a scar on his left hand and his conduct was described as very good. He had obviously enjoyed his time in the Royal Navy as he signed on for twelve years in October 1918. His mother Annie was awarded a war gratuity. He was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.
At the time of the 1939 registration both Alfred and Annie were living at Oak Farm Cottages, Stanford le Hope and they were still living there when Annie died 30th December 1949 followed by Alfred on 19th August 1955. They are both buried in plot A348 Stanford le Hope Cemetery.