Bernard was born on 18 May 1918 in Brighton, Sussex to Ukrainian born father Selman and Marion nee Cohen and he had a sister Barbara. Their father Selman worked as a shipbroker and chartering agent in Leadenhall Street, London. At the age of twenty-one, Bernard was working with his father as a shipbroker and was living at Fitzjohn’s Avenue in Hampstead and was an activist in Jewish defence organisations. In 1939, Bernard married German born Herta Kern, who worked as a staff nurse at the Royal Northern Hospital in Islington. Their son Anthony was born in 1942.

Bernard was killed on D-Day in Normandy, France and his obituary states that he died as a result of an accident whilst performing his duty.