David was born in 1923 in West Ham, Essex to Jack and Edith née Coules and had two brothers Jack and James. In 1939, the family were living 56 Minster Way, Hornchurch. Their father Jack was a ladies hairdresser. David’s brother Jack was secretary to a chief engineer and David and his brother James were at school.

David was an air gunner on Lancaster ND642 which departed RAF Grimsby on a night operation to Berlin. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed 8 Km north of the town of Ellenburg in the Rhineland. All the crew were killed and apart from David, the rest of the crew were Welshmen.

Pilot, Alfryn James Jenkins, of Penclawdd, near Swansea

F/E, William John Moore of Risca, Monmouthshire

A/B, Gilbert Pearson of Merthyr Tydfil

W/Op, Roy McStuart Ross, of Newbridge, Monmouthshire

A/G, Forrest Alan Luigi Angove Farr, of Barry

Nav, George Arthur Saunders of Cardiff