Ernest (Avner-Ernst) was born in Cairo, Egypt on 5 January 1918 to Myer and Rachel nee Schonberg and he had a brother Joseph and a sister named Ruth. The Amzalak family immigrated to Israel and they were one of the founders of the Neve Tzedek neighborhood in Jaffa and purchased land in Rishon LeZion. His father’s great-grandfather served as the first British consul in Jaffa. Ernest’s father worked as a merchant and the family travelled back and forth between Liverpool and Port Said.

Ernest attested into the RAF in 1938. Ernest was a navigator on board 1675 HCU Liberator B VI KG824 when it caught fire in the air and exploded 4 miles north-east of Abu Sueir air base during a training flight.