Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the husband of Emma Watts of 2, Jubilee Terracem Donnington le Heath, Leics., also shown as residing at 2, Townsend Lane, Coalville, Leics. David was recorded as an Army Reservist on the 12th December 1915. He enlisted on the 17th July 1917 and embarked to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 12th November 1917, joining his unit, the Hawke Battalion on the 24th November 1917 and serving with this unit until the 27th December 1917 when he was detached from active service and admitted to the 149th Royal Naval Field Ambulance. He re-joined the Hawke Battalion on the 1st August 1918 and served with it until the 13th March 1918 when he was gassed, and was invalided to England on the 26th March 1918. He embarked to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 23rd July 1918 and re-joined the Hawke Battalion on the 27th August 1918 where he served until he was reported missing in action, later reported killed in action on the 28th September 1918.