W/Cmdr David Cox was born on 18th April, 1920, in Cambridge.
He attended school in Bournemouth and worked as a clerk in a solicitor’s office. After failing an RAF medical, he worked for some months at Billingsgate Market.
David joined the RAFVR in April 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot and began his flying training at 19 E&RFTS, Gatwick. 
Called up on 1st September, he completed his training at 10 FTS, Tern Hill and joined 19 Squadron at Duxford on 23rd May 23, 1940.
On 15th September 1940, the day regarded by most as the Battle of Britain Day - the make or break for the RAF against the Luftwaffe, David was up with 19 Squadron intercepting a wave of Me 109s.
He broke off to attack a fleeing Dornier, which had escaped by ducking into a convenient cloud. Keen to shoot something down, he carried on. "I had plenty of ammunition and flew south a bit. To my right I saw six single aircraft which I thought were Hurricanes. We were always told you shouldn't fly around on your own and you should always try and join up with friendly aircraft." The angle he had been approaching from was deceptive. As they aproached he realised they were Me 109s. "Four of them dived away and I saw nothing more of them. Of the others, one climbed behind me and I turned very violently and he just carried straight on...but the one who had been above me turned. As he was coming at right angles I fired a ninety-dgree deflection shot and he went down and crashed."
The reluctance of the other me 109s to engage was an indication of their desperation to get back to their bases, and all the remaining raiders were heading for France.

On 27th June, 1941, David shot down a Bf 109 but during the engagement his Spitfire was badly damaged and he made a crash-landing at Dungeness.
He was posted away from 19 Squadron on 12th September to instruct at 57 OTU, Hawarden. He went to CFS, Upavon for two weeks in October on an instructor's course.

In May 1942, David joined 72 Squadron at Biggin Hill. He damaged a FW 190 on 26th July, west of Calais.
David went with the squadron to North Africa in November 1942, where he scored 4 destroyed, 3 probables, 4 damaged and 1 destroyed on the ground.
The squadron then moved to Gibraltar and then Algeria, He was made a Flight Commander and awarded the DFC (16/2/43). The tour expired on 26th April, 1943, and he was posted back to the UK.
From 21st June to 3rd August, 1943, he gave talks at factories, after which he became a Tactics Liaison Officer, instructing American pilots.  He was awarded a Bar to the DFC (9/7/43).

In early January 1944 David was briefly with 130 Squadron at Scorton but moved to 504 Squadron at Hornchurch on the 20th, as a Flight Commander.
On 12th March, 1944, he went to 84 Group Support Unit, Aston Down, remaining there until 5th June, when he was posted to command 222 Squadron at Selsey.
David rejoined 84 GSU, then at Thruxton, on 17th July and stayed until 2nd October, 1944, when he was posted to 1 Squadron at Detling. He received the C de G (Fr) in September.  David was given command on 1st January 1945. He was posted away on 5th April to HQ 221 Group, Bunna. He led 909 (Spitfire) Wing from 21st May to 26th September, 1945, when he went to HQ RAF Siam. 
He was released from the RAF on 11th March, 1946, when he resigned his Permanent Commission.

"I suddenly saw a Hurricane near Folkestone on his own. He was being attacked by four 109s. Before I could do any good he went down and he actually crashed near Sittingborne and was killed. The four 109s then devoted their attention to myself. They were no doubt experts because two got above me and two below me. And I was in a circle. I thought, realised I was in a tight corner, did a lot of firing which was I think was more to boost my own morale and perhaps frighten them than any chance of hitting them, and then eventually there was a loud bang in my cockpit and I momentarily sort of was dazed.