Ernest Roderick Hilton was the son of William Hilton, a builder, and his wife Julia Ellen, nee Hawkley. He was one of four children, a brother, Sidney, and sisters, Lily and Irene. He was just over 27 years when he enlisted on 24 October, 1916, a Master Printer by trade and newly married to Margaret Mary Duffy, known as Rita. Although Ernest was an Anglican by religion, the wedding service was held at St. Francis Church, Lonsdae St., Melbourne on 27 February, 1916, and was conducted by the Rev. Vincent Willis. Following the service, the young couple lived at 10 Simpson St., East Melbourne, with her parents. 

On 8 November, 1916, Ernest was sent to Maribynong Camp, Melbourne, for training. He was a Gunner, attached to the 25/2 Field Artillery Battalion. He seems to have stayed there until 20 February, 1917,  then must have moved to another camp before embarking from Melbourne on 11 July, 1917, on board the HMAT Agronemes. By now the Gallipoli campaign was over, so the new recruits went straight to England, disembarking at Plymouth on 19 July, 1917. From here the 2nd F.A.B. marched in to Larkhill camp for further training. Here Ernest Hilton was assigned to the 13th Field Artillery Brigade, part of the 5th Division and on 17 October, they left for France.

On 27 October, Ernest Hilton marched out to join the 5th Division Artillery, then fighting at Passchendale in the Third Battle of Ypres. On 8 November, he was the victim of a gas attack, and was admitted to hospital, wounded in action. He was sent back to England on 11 November on HMT Jan Breydel and spent the next year in England, before being returned to Australia on HT Ormonde on 16 June 1919.

In 1924, Ernest Roderick Hilton is listed in the Electoral Rolls as a 'traveller', or travelling salesman, living at ' Bondi', 25 Oak Grove, Malvern East with Rita. In 1923, they had a baby daughter, their only child,  Betty Jean Hilton, known as 'Betts'. By 1925, they were still together at Oak Grove, but by now the marriage was in trouble. In 1928, Rita filed for divorce, citing numerous adulteries, one leading to Ernest's infection with gonorrhoea in 1925. She hired a private investigator, who gave evidence at the divorce proceedings of Ernest's serious affair with another woman. He did not defend the charges and by 1934, was living at 11 Chomley St., Toorak, with Helen and working as a printer. By 1936 and 1937, however, they had moved house twice and he was unemployed. This was probably due to the effcts on his health of the gas attack. He died on 1 August 1940 at Heidelberg, probably in the Repatriation Hospital.