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David William Arnott was born on 11th February 1884, son of William and Louise Arnott of 31, York Road, Edgbaston. His father was a schoolmaster at King Edward’s, and David was admitted to the School as a Foundation Scholar in January 1893, aged 8. He played cricket for the 1st XI, rugby for the 1st XV and was Honorary Secretary of the Debating Society. In October 1902 he was elected School Captain. The School magazine in October 1903 records that “[Arnott] has shown himself to be the highest type of British public school boy, and he carries our best wishes with him to Cambridge.”
David won an £80 scholarship to Gonville and Caius College in 1903 to study Mathematics.
In March 1915, he joined the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps and in April became a Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was reported wounded and missing, aged thirty-two, following a major action at Ginchy on 3rd September 1916. He reached the rank of Lieutenant and is commemorated in Serre Road Cemetery No. 2 in France, and on St Augustine’s Church Memorial in Edgbaston.