Gerald was born on 6 August 1919 in Stepney, London to Poland born father Nathan, a taxi driver, and Esther nee Berliner and he was an only child.

In 1939, the family were living in East Ham and Gerald was listed as working as a cable worker.

Gerald enlisted early in the war and was killed during Operation Cycle, the name of the evacuation of Allied troops from Le Havre, in the Pays de Caux of Upper Normandy from 10 to 13 June 1940. Sadly, Gerald’s father Nathan died eight days before him in the London Hospital from cardiac failure.