Louis was born on 17 June 1917 in Bethnal Green, London to Elmar, who was born in Odessa, Ukraine and mother Julia nee Spitzer who was born in Hungary. Louis had a twin brother Benjamin and five younger siblings whose father worked as a ladies hat machinist. Most of the children followed their father into the business including Louis.

Louis enlisted into the Suffolk Regiment and was at an Army camp undertaking musketry training. He was holding a target and checking the firing of a snap shooting class when a shot entered his head killing him instantly. The inquest found that it was a mystery how a live clip was mixed with the dummies and recorded a verdict of accidental death.