David was born in Woodham Ferrers on 13th July 1892 the son of David, a railway platelayer with Great Eastern Railway, and his wife Ellen. David senior, aged 23 had married Ellen Curtis at St Mary’s Church, Woodham Ferrers on 19th October the previous year. He had been lodging at Shaws Farm at that time. David junior was baptised at St Mary’s on 17th June 1894.
The family had moved to North Fambridge by 1901 where they were living at the Railway Cottages. Before he joined up David was also employed on the railway as a carpenter’s labourer and in 1911 he was boarding at Railway Cottages, South Woodham Ferrers. The rest of the family was still living at North Fambridge by which time Ellen had given birth to 11 children of whom two had died. Unusually on the 1901 and 1911 censuses Ellen gives her place of birth as somewhere in Wiltshire.
David enlisted at Chelmsford as a volunteer on short service for eight years with four years on reserve, on 9th September 1914 just 36 days after war was declared. At that time he was aged 22 years and 60 days, 6ft tall of fresh complexion with hazel eyes and fair hair. He was posted to the 1st Life Guards, part of The Household Cavalry, who were at that time at Hyde Park Barracks in London and there he undertook training until, following heavy losses during the 1st Battle of Ypres on the 13th May 1915, he joined the battalion on the 18th May as part of the reinforcements. During his time with the battalion, as part of the 7th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division, they were involved in 2nd Battle of Ypres, April - May 1915, Battle of Loos September - October 1915 and Arras April 1917. He was promoted to lance corporal on 22nd June 1916 although his war grave entry describes him as a corporal.
In March 1918 the battalion was formally dismounted and converted to No 1 (1st Life Guards) Battalion of the Guards Machine Gun Regiment. The battalion would have then have withdrawn from the front line to undertake additional training at Etaples in the Pas de Calais. This area was well behind the front and therefore normally safe from enemy attack except from the air. Just before midnight on 19th May 1918 , whilst the battalion was in camp, an enemy air raid took place when they were hit by two bombs which left 42 men killed including David and 83 wounded.
He is buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery which holds nearly 11,000 graves due to the fact that Etaples included several military hospitals.
David is remembered on both the Woodham Ferrers and North Fambridge War Memorials. He was awarded the 1915 Star in addition to the Victory and British War Medals.
Ellen died in October 1937 and is buried in the churchyard at North Fambridge. David senior was still living at the Railway Cottages, North Fambridge in 1939.