Born on 15 July 1914 in Crows Nest, Queensland, John Alexander French enlisted at Toowoomba, Queensland, on 22 October 1939.
As a Corporal in the 2/9th Australian Infantry Battalion, he was killed in action in Papua on 4 September 1942. He was buried in the Port Moresby (Boman) War Cemetery, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
In January 1943, a Victoria Cross was posthumously awarded to Corporal French for gallantry during the Allied attack on Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. The award was reported in the Queensland Times on 15 January and included excerpts of the citation, including the below:
By his cool courage and disregard of his personal safety, this non-commissioned officer saved his section from heavy causalities and was responsible for the successful conclusion of the attack.