Ernest Cunningham was born on 7 November 1899 at Bega, New South Wales, Australia, the son of William Cunningham.  He joined the Royal Australian Navy College at Jervis Bay in 1913, graduating in 1916. Promoted to the rank of Midshipman in January 1917, he was appointed to HMS GLORIOUS for sea training and won the Grand Fleet boxing championship for his weight the same year. In early 1918 he was transferred to HMS K17 for submarine training. He is commemorated on the war memorial at Hurstville, New South Wales, the Royal Australian Navy World War One Memorial at Crib Point, Victoria and on the Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 28.