David was born on 19 May 1918 in Cheetham, Lancashire to Solomon and Jane nee Levetan and he was the youngest of five children. Their mother died soon after David’s birth and they were bought up by their father and later by their stepmother Sarah who married their father in 1932. In 1939, the family were living at 92 Bignor Street, Hightown in Manchester. David worked as a commercial traveller in general foods and was engaged to be married to Adele Bazar.

David was the wireless operator on Beaufighter T4863 alongside his Canadian pilot Ronald Wilfred Leach, R/85052. The aircraft departed RAF Catfoss on a training exercise and crashed near Leven in Yorkshire. The investigation believed that crew had made an error in selecting the wrong fuel tanks which caused the engines to become starved of fuel. Both David and Ronald were killed.