David was born in Dromara to John and Martha Ball in 1880. At some point he emigrated to Western Australia where he was a teacher and lived in Greenbushes. He was married to Eva, stood at 5’11” and upon enlisting in March 1917 “required extensive dental treatment”.
David embarked from Australia with the 22nd Reinforcements, 28th Battalion from Fremantle on HMS Ormonde on 13th March 1918. After arriving in England he was temporarily transferred to the 5th Training Battalion and, as they were measles contacts, went into isolation with his comrades before they returned to their unit to serve in France.
During the battle of Mont Saint-Quentin in France, Private Ball was killed in action on the 2nd September 1918 aged 38. Reports vary around the time and specific nature of how he was killed but all agree on the date and that he was struck by a shell.
Lance Corporal J.A. Doyle writes “ I saw Ball, B Coy, shortly after he was killed instantly (think through head) by whizz bang shell in front line of trenches at Mont St Quentin after we reached our objective about 8am.”
Private G Billings reported “ He had been killed by a shell though I cannot say where he was hit. We were moving up at the time and casualty happened about 10am. I saw him buried on the field in a trench at place of casualty”
David is buried in Perrone Communal Cemetery and is commemorated on Ballynahinch War Memorial and Greenbushes War Memorial.