MCELROY, John Francis
| Service Number: | S31312 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 May 1941, Keswick, SA |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | General Details Depot |
| Born: | Penola, South Australia, 14 May 1902 |
| Home Town: | Naracoorte, Naracoorte and Lucindale, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Business Owner of Electrical Supplies |
| Died: | Woodville, South Australia, 22 July 1968, aged 66 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (General) Road 4, Path 7, Aspect E, Site Number 24 - Exp 17 Mar 2013 |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 12 May 1941: | Involvement Sergeant, S31312 | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 May 1941: | Enlisted Keswick, SA | |
| 12 May 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sergeant, S31312, General Details Depot | |
| 18 Oct 1943: | Discharged | |
| 18 Oct 1943: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sergeant, S31312, General Details Depot |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Michelle MCSHANE
Son of John Shaw McElroy and Margaret Buchan
Born in Comaum district of Grey
(BDM SA ref: Book/Page: 695/316)
He was baptised on the 20 Aug 1902 at St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Penola (as were many of the McElroy family members).
When his parents moved to Lochaber in 1919, he went with them and worked on the farm. As a young man he was insturmental in getting the telephone on in the Lochaber disctrict as well as getting the weekly mail run increased to three times a week.
Jack built the first wireless set in the Naracoorte district. He also set up a radio and elcetrical shop which he later sold to Farmer and Folletti. Apart from his business interests, Jack was actively involved in the Naracoorte Golf Club, the Caledonian Society and the Naracoorte Progress Association.
On 6 Dec 1938 Jack married Olive Beatrice Stodden in Melbourne. They moved back to SA and he built a house in Gordon Street in Naracoorte.
In 1941 he enlisted in the army and after being discharged in 1945 he went to Penola where he bought the Electrical Supply Service. In late 1948 after a lot of problems, the Penola Electrical Supply ceased to operate and in May 1949 it was sold to the Murrel brothers of NSW.
Jack and Olive moved to Quorn and he had the Electrical Supply Company and also he owned and managed a garage at Marrabel (in the states mid north).
Due to ill health he sold out and they moved to Adelaide to live their final days.
Jack and Olive didn't have any children.
He died aged 66 (married) and lived in Tennyson
(BDM SA ref: Book/Page: 52A/5313)