The 14th Battalion was formed in the last weeks of September, 1914. Its headquarters initially was at 178 Collins St., Melbourne, but on 1 October, the battalion was relocated to Broadmeadows, where the recruits were trained. Ernest Meadows enlisted on 8 October and would have spent the first two months of training at Broadmeadows before embarking on HMAT Ulysses for Egypt on 22 December. He was a month past his 29th birthday, single,  a labourer by trade, belonged to the Church of England and had already had four years' training in the Military prior to enlistment. He had been born in Birmingham, England, where his mother still resided and named as his next of kin his brother, Jack Meadows. Both resided at 516 Albert St., East Mebourne.

They arrived in Egypt on 31 January, 1915, where they joined with the 13th, 15th and 16th battalions to form the the 4th Brigade. The Brigade was part of the assault force at Anzac Cove on 25 April. Ernest Meadows survived this and the Turkish counter-attack on 19 May. During this fighting, Albert Jacka, a member of the 14th Battalion was awarded the AIF's first Victoria Cross. From then on, they were known as 'Jacka's mob'. From May to August, Ernest Meadows and his fellow soldiers were heavily involved in establishing and holding the front line.

In August, however, they took on a different task, that of attacking the Turkish defences at Hill 971. Hill 971 was the highest point of Sari Bair Ridge. The aims of the assault were to break through the Turkish containment of the allied forces and the seize the high ground between Hill 971 and Chunuk Bair in order to secure a path across the Peninsula to capture the Turkish forts which guarded the Dardanelles. While the assault was successful, it was taken at great cost. Ernest Meadows  was one of the casualties. Wounded in the right thigh, he was removed to hospital, but died of his wounds on 14 August, 1915.

He was buried at Chatby Military Cemetery and War Memorial, Alexandria, Egypt, Plot J, Grave 93. He is remembered in the AWM 145 Roll of Honour cards and on Panel 73 of the Commemorative Area, Australian War Museum, Canberra.