David Bonsor joined the Grenadier Guards from Sandhurst in January 1938 and was posted to 2nd Battalion. He then joined the BEF with HQ 7 Guards Regiment but was wounded and evacuated to Queen Mary’s Hospital Roehampton. He was posted to 3rd Battalion in June 1942 with whom he went to North Africa in July. He took part in the landings in Italy and won the Military Cross for sustained courage commanding 2 Company, 3rd Battalion in the fighting before, during and after Monte Battaglia. In all he completed 2 years continuous service in Italy in command of No 2 Company. He returned to the United Kingdom in early 1945. He was sent to BAOR with 2nd Battalion in May 1946 and then resigned his commission in September 1947.