Lorna Jean O'FLAHERTY

Lorna Jean O'FLAHERTY Update Details

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O'FLAHERTY, Lorna Jean

Service Number:	107013
Enlisted:	24 August 1942, Adelaide
Last Rank:	Corporal
Last Unit:	Not yet discovered
Born:	Edwardstown, South Australia, 6 December 1923
Home Town:	Thebarton (Southwark), City of West Torrens, South Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Assistant Secretary (Miscellaneous Workers’ Union)
Memorials:

World War 2 Service

24 Aug 1942:	Involvement Corporal, 107013
24 Aug 1942:	Enlisted Adelaide
24 Aug 1942:	Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Corporal, 107013
31 May 1945:	Discharged

Help us honour Lorna Jean O'Flaherty's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Chris Buckley

Corporal Lorna Jean O'Flaherty (Service No:107013) enlisted in the WAAAF on 2 August 1942 at No 5 Recruiting Centre Adelaide as an Aircraftwoman - mustered as Trainee Radio Operator, re mustered as Cypher Assistant. In May 1943 Aircraftwoman O'Flaherty was attached to 1 Volunteer Air Observers Corps (VAOC), and was promoted to Corporal on 1 December 1943. Corporal O'Flaherty was attached to AFHQ (DRS Signals) at Discharge on 31 May 1945.

Lorna was born in Edwardstown, South Australia in 1923, seventh of eight children of Sidney (Sid) Wainman O'Flaherty (b1886 at Broken Hill, New South Wales). Sid was a Miner in Broken Hill in 1908 when he married Ada (Hilda) Amelia Barnard (b1885 in Moonta, South Australia). Sid and Hilda moved to South Australia in 1909, and Sid worked as a Carpenter and Builder in Strathalbyn. Sid was a member of the Labor Party - he was Secretary of the Shop Assistants' Association in Strathalbyn, in 1911 in Renmark he was organiser of the United Labourers' Union and secretary and manager of the Renmark Co Operative Society. In WWI Sid opposed conscription, and joined the Anti Conscription League, and was the Labor Member for Murray from 1918 to 1921 in the South Australian House of Assembly. Sid was a Senator from 1943 to 1962, State President of the ALP, Opposition Whip from 1957, and State Secretary of the Federated Workers' Union and ran the Federated Coopers' Union from 1935 to 1944.

Lorna worked for her father on leaving school - initially as a Typist and was Assistant Secretary with the Miscellaneous Workers Union in 1942 when she enlisted in the WAAAF. Following Discharge in 1945, Lorna returned to Adelaide and worked as Personal Secretary to her father (Senator O'Flaherty) during his years in the Senate. In 1948 in Adelaide Lorna married her first husband Allan Peter Potter (b1915 in Adelaide, South Australia) - Peter was unemployed, having suffered a severe injury from a gunshot wound to he head, and died in 1957. Lorna was living Mitchell Park in Adelaide in 1970 with Adrian Lord George Thomas (b1914 in Glenelg, South Australia) - Adrian served in WWII (Private; Service No:31007). Adrian died in 2001.

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