Mr Montague Donald Thaler was born in Ryde, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England on 3 October 1894.

He was the son of a German father Andreas Thaler (b. 1858 in Bavaria), and an English mother Selina Ashmore (b. 1856 in Holywell, Cambridgeshire) who were married in Holywell in late 1884. His father first came to England in the early 1880s and worked as a hotel waiter before operating his own restaurant.  The couple initially settled in Ryde, Isle of Wight where they started their family, later moving to Eastleigh where they operated the White Lion public house and restaurant.

One of eight children, Montague’s siblings were: Bertie Wilhelm (1885-1939), Florence (1887-1916, later Mrs George Arthur Banfield), Edward (1888-1888), Sidney Oscar (1889-1916), Winifred Schobert (1890-1930, later Mrs Charles John Taylor), Reginald Ludwig (1893-1963) and Ivy Rose (1895-1979, later Mrs Charles A. Cross).

Although born in Ryde, Montague apparently spent some of his early life in Eastleigh, Hampshire before relocating to East Ham, Essex, the family appearing there on the 1901 census as residents of Goldsmith Avenue. 

When the 1911 census was conducted the Thaler family were shown to have moved yet again, living at 19 Royal County Hotel, Croydon, Surrey where his father was the restaurant proprietor. Montague was at that time described as a wholesale office clerk.

By April 1912, Thaler had been a clerk for just over two years at the office of Messrs John Thrift & Son, provision merchants at George Street in Croydon. Described by his employers as a bright and cheerful lad, office work, however, had little draw for him and he felt the call of the sea. For some time he sought a berth on Olympic, but the Hawke incident in September 1911 curbed those plans, much to his disappointment. He was reportedly elated when in early 1912 he received news that he had been appointed as a steward on the brand new Titanic.

When he signed on to the Titanic for his first working sea voyage on 4 April 1912, Thaler gave his address as 19 Station Road, West Croydon. As a third class steward he could expect to earn monthly wages of £3, 15s. His father accompanied him to Southampton to see him off for the maiden voyage, reporting that Montague was in high spirits at the prospect of working on the new ship.

Montague Thaler died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

His parents continued to live at 19 Station Road in Croydon; his father died unexpectedly on 1 August 1920 after which his mother moved to 55 Rosebery Avenue, Manor Park, London where she died on 29 November 1937.

His brother Sidney later served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps and was killed in action on 15 September 1916.