David was born on 25 December 1903 in Leeds, Yorkshire to Ukraine born father Simon, a ladies tailor, and Brighton born mother Elizabeth. Simon and Elizabeth had three boys Isaac, Louis and David. After Elizabeth’s death in 1906, Simon remarried to Sarah Chein and they had a daughter Doreen.

David married Cissie Getzic in Manchester in 1931 and they lived at 43 Penrose Street, Manchester where they both worked as waterproof garment machinists.

David enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps and his records state that he was killed in action.