John was born on 8 April 1915 in West Ham, Essex to Polish born Woolf (William) and Scottish mother Asneth nee Lewis and he had a younger sister Lorna. Their parents married in 1912 in Whitechapel and Woolf was listed as a tea and coffee merchant before changing his career to a monumental monument mason. Woolf died in 1944 and after the war Asneth moved to South Africa.

John attended East Ham Grammar school and was a member of the Stepney Jewish Boy’s Club.

In 1939, John was training at No. 7 Elementary Flying Training School, RAF Desford and transferred in early 1940 to RAF St Eval, Cornwall with 206 Sqn. On 15 October 1940, Hudson T9303 departed on a reconnaissance mission over the south west coast. The aircraft failed to return. Despite a full search the aircraft was never found. All four crew are commemorated on Runnymede Memorial.

William Kent, 518350
James Steel, 644325
Derek Edmund Teden, 90486
John Lionel De Keyser, 79166