David was born on 12 July 1920 in Eastbourne, Sussex to Russian born father Solomon and Hungarian born mother Cecilia nee Weiss and he had two older siblings, Margaret and Leonard. The family surname was originally Loberchefsky and was changed before 1911. Their father was a draper and the family ran a drapers shop in Eastbourne. By 1939, the family had moved to London and they were living at 5 Ruislip Road, Ealing and David is listed as working as a gents outfitting shop assistant. David enlisted into the RAF at Uxbridge in 1940.

David was based in Gibraltar and was lost on Wellington HX738. On 31 December the aircraft departed at 20.52 on an anti-submarine sweep to the east. The O.R.B. states: Just after taking off the a/c crashed into the sea about half a mile from the Eastern end of the runway. One of the DC (depth charges) carried exploded. The Captain, second pilot and navigator were all saved and the bodies of Sgt Evans & Sgt Davis were picked up by a trawler on patrol. The body of Sgt Calladine was washed ashore off Malaga some weeks later.

Three crew were killed:
Sgt. Francis William Calladine, 927937.
Sgt. David Weiss Davis, 1286243.
Sgt. Richard Frank Evans, 1116145.

F/Sgt. Hodgson, survived
Sgt. Munro, survived
F/Sgt. Thomasson, survived