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War Memorial
Australia

John Francis Rooney – Flight Lieutenant, R.A.A.F.

John Francis Rooney was born on 2 April 1906 at Rosewater, South Australia, the son of Michael Rooney and Sarah McKeough.

He grew up in the Port Adelaide district, where his early life was shaped by the industrious Irish Catholic community of the area.

In his early working years, John pursued a clerical and accounting career, establishing a reputation for integrity and precision that would later guide his military service.

On 20 June 1940, at the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Port Adelaide, John married May Gertrude de Kam, daughter of Jacobus de Kam and Nellie May Ah Hee. The couple settled at 52 Lorens Road, Cheltenham, South Australia,

and had two children: Francis John, born 18 December 1940, and Rosemary Elizabeth, born 27 June 1943.

John enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 4 August 1941. His service number was 282903, and he was posted to the Administrative and Accounting Branch. After completing an Accountancy Course and Emergency Driver Training at the School of Administration, Sandgate, he was commissioned as Pilot Officer on 4 August 1941, promoted to Flying Officer on 4 August 1942, and to Flight Lieutenant on 1 August 1943.

He served in various postings, including Headquarters Northern Area (N.W.A.) in the Northern Territory, R.A.A.F. Darwin, and later in South Australia. His duties involved pay accounting and administrative oversight. While serving in the Northern Territory, he sustained injuries in a motor accident, which resulted in a period of hospitalisation and ongoing health difficulties. Despite his injuries, he continued to serve diligently until the conclusion of the war.

Flight Lieutenant Rooney was discharged on 15 March 1946, his appointment terminated at Headquarters South Australia under Administrative Branch provisions. His service was recognised through the award of the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939–45, and the Australia Service Medal 1939–45.

Following the war, John and May lived at Cheltenham and later at 28 Findon Road, Woodville West. His health remained fragile as a result of his wartime injuries. On 28 September 1962, Flight Lieutenant John Francis Rooney passed away at Springbank,

South Australia, aged 56. He was laid to rest at Cheltenham Cemetery. His plaque bears the R.A.A.F. insignia and the inscription:

“Dearly loved husband of May and family – Requiescat in pace.”

In 1965, correspondence between the R.A.A.F. Medals Section at Albert Park Barracks, Mr. B. Hastings (Legacy Adviser) and Mrs. May Rooney confirm the posthumous issue of his campaign medals to his widow. These were forwarded with official service particulars, allowing the family to honour his legacy during Anzac commemorations.

Flight Lieutenant John Francis Rooney’s record stands as a testament to devoted service, quiet courage, and the enduring sacrifice borne by his family.

**Sources:** 

- National Archives of Australia, Service Record: A9300, ROONEY J. F. 

- Births, Deaths & Marriages, South Australia. 

- Cheltenham Cemetery Register. 

- R.A.A.F. correspondence and medal verification letters, 1965.

Biography by Trevor Pyatt 23/10/2025