David was born on 27 September 1916 in Mile End, London to Polish born parents John and Rebecca née Schaeferbloom and had two sisters Helen and Lily who were also born in Warsaw. In 1921, the family lived in Brighton where John worked as a jeweller. By 1939, the family had moved to London and David is listed on the 1939 Register as living with his mother, sisters and their husbands at 23 Middlesex Street in the City of London. He is listed as a millinery ledger clerk in the family millinery shop.

David was the navigator on Wellington Z1408 which took off from RAF Grimsby at 23.59 on a night operation to Duisburg. The aircraft was lost without trace.

The crew were:
Pilot, Flt Sgt Ronald Vandersteen
Nav, Sgt David Berger
W/Op/AG, Sgt Norman Wilfred Dawkins
W/Op/AG, Sgt Richard Arthur Evans
A/G, Sgt Robert Kenneth McGrath RCAF