David Teacher is a distinguished veteran of the British RAF. He lived a wonderful life full of bravery, courage and love for his country. In particular, he was in the Royal Air Force Regiment and served in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Learn more at manchesteryes.com.
David’s life path
David was born in Hastings in 1923. At the age of 11, he moved to Palestine to live with his grandparents. It was there that he got acquainted with the British Army for the first time. He often visited the army base, spent time with the military and provided them with a huge service, translating from Hebrew and Arabic when communicating with local residents.
At the age of 15, David returned to his native Great Britain. He settled in Manchester, where he worked as a mechanic at the beginning of World War II.
The turning point in David’s life was the bombing of Manchester in 1940, also known as the Manchester Blitz. Having survived the terrible bombing and gaining his majority, David decided to fight the enemy and enlisted in the army. In 1942, he was sent to the Royal Air Force. This unit was part of the Combined Operations force during the first wave of the Normandy landings at Juno Beach. Before that, David participated in the D-Day operation. The young man was very afraid of this day, but as he later told the BBC, it had turned out to be a “doodle”. He also stated that the largest naval operation in history, which was the beginning of the liberation of France and parts of Western Europe, wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible British Air Force.
Service in the Royal Air Force
David trained as an auto mechanic in the Royal Air Force. In 1943, he was already serving in Devon and soon volunteered for the Combined Operations forces. This unit was specially created for Allied operations in Europe.
David served in Europe as part of the RAF Beach Squadron. Their task was to go ashore and establish positions in designated areas to assist in the supply of fuel, ammunition, equipment and vehicles to the British RAF.
David’s main role in this mission was to maintain all types of British military vehicles.
In addition, David participated in countless military operations. He liberated the territories of other countries at the risk of his life and defended Great Britain, giving his duty to the Motherland. He took part in the most important operations, including bombing, reconnaissance missions and combats, contributing to the imminent victory of the Allied countries over Nazi Germany.
At the time when David enlisted in the British Regiment, he was only 18 years old. He was incredibly young but infinitely courageous and brave.
D-Day in David’s life and the Battle of the Bulge
One of the scariest events for David was D-Day, the decisive day when the Allied troops landed in Normandy. It marked the opening of the second front against Hitler’s Germany. It was the beginning of the end of World War II.
David, as part of the British beach units, landed on the shore and took up his positions. The main mission of David’s unit was to control all military equipment, including food and ammunition. In addition, as an experienced mechanic, David repaired broken military vehicles in the shortest possible time.
There, David experienced the worst events of the Second World War. A bomb landed six metres away from him, but, fortunately, it didn’t explode. Bloody battles were fought on the other side. David was stuck on the beach for the long three months he spent in the trenches. Every day he was subjected to massive shelling by Hitler’s troops.
Nevertheless, David didn’t give up. He fought till the end and fulfilled his main task in that operation, ensuring the efficient operation of the army. In addition, he also sent the wounded home on landing ships.
After David managed to survive D-Day, he transferred to the 2742 Squadron RAF Regiment, where he continued to serve bravely. His mission in this unit was to maintain and operate the squadron’s vehicles.
In 1944, the unit was sent to work with the US VIII Corps in Bastogne. When 2742 Squadron RAF Regiment arrived on the scene, the Battle of the Bulge had just begun. The battles were incredibly fierce and bloody. They lasted several weeks. For David, that period seemed like an eternity. He also called this battle the worst period of his army service because the fighting conditions were extremely difficult.
Volunteer activity
David was demobilised in December 1946. After military service, he decided to fully engage in charity work.
David is an absolutely unique person. His life is an incredibly eventful story. Throughout his life, he has been telling stories that happened to him during the Second World War. He believes that such information is incredibly important to the public because there are not so many veterans of the Second World War who have lived to the 21st century. It led David to start volunteering, speaking to visitors to Manchester’s Imperial War Museum. He told the younger generation not only about his biography and those terrible moments when he was on the verge of life and death but also about all the dangers of war and political conflicts.
Biographer Richard Alexander wrote and published the book No Ordinary Tuesday, which included all of David’s stories and experiences during the Second World War and what happened later in his life. It took about six years to create this book.
After the Second World War, David was also vice-chairman of the Bolton and District Normandy Veterans Association and chairman of the Manchester Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women. In addition, David devoted himself to supporting his fellow veterans and their families, advocating for their rights and well-being long after the war ended. He was active in Manchester veterans’ organisations and charitable initiatives.
David was also awarded an MBE in 2012 for his services to charity fundraising.
A 100-year-old World War II veteran in Manchester
David turned 100 years old on September 29, 2023. The veteran of the Second World War celebrated his anniversary at the Broughton House, the residence for the elderly in Manchester. The closest friends and family, including his children and grandchildren, joined the celebration of the birthday of the outstanding hero. The only person missing from the event was David’s wife, who had been reported missing. He loved her so much and they lived in marriage for 76 years.
David always remembers his beloved wife with incredible warmth. He said that their first meeting took place at a dance. Having climbed the stairs, he saw a girl of extraordinary beauty. David stopped and said that was the girl he was going to marry. She said that the man must be joking. Eventually, the couple got married. In many interviews, the veteran told how he misses his beloved, that life with her was something beautiful and that he enjoyed every minute together.
On his 100th birthday, David also received a card from Warrant Officer Steve Garrett of REME on behalf of King Charles III.
David served his country with pride and courage. He performed feats on the front line and developed the country and the city of Manchester after the end of the Second World War. His story is a reminder for everyone to uphold the values of freedom, democracy and justice as well as not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Undoubtedly, David went down in British military history as a person who wasn’t afraid to sacrifice himself for the greater value. Not only did he bravely serve Great Britain during the Second World War, but after it ended, he chose to continue devoting his life to the service of others. It applies not only to charity but also to various events where he shares with the younger generation the values of friendship, duty and service in the army.