Mr David John McCarron was born at Frank Place in Belfast, Ireland on 12 September 1878. Hailing from a Church of Ireland family, he was the son of David John McCarron, a labourer, and Sarah Ann Thompson.

In 1896 he joined the Royal Irish Rifles. 

With an address of 3 Rugby Street, Belfast and described as a labourer, McCarron was married in that city’s St Anne’s Church 24 March 1902 to Annie McGrath (b. circa 1879), a keeler. Their only child, their daughter Martha, was born the following year. The family appear on the 1911 census as residents of 29 Frankfort Street in south Belfast.

McCarron’s ship prior to Titanic had been the Olympic. He joined Titanic at Belfast for the delivery trip to Southampton where he then disembarked.

With the outbreak of WWI in 1914, McCarron rejoined the British Army in October that year with the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons.  He was posted to France the following year but over the following months his health began to deteriorate, with respiratory and circulatory problems, including episodes of spitting up blood. His weight plummeted and he was no longer fit for service and discharged. 

David McCarron returned back to Belfast to his home at 4 Athens Street but his health never recovered. He died on 4 July 1918 aged 39 and is buried in Dundonald Cemetery (plot F5 39).