James Heaney was born in 1876 in Casterton, Victoria, the son of Patrick and Honora Heaney, nee Quinn. At the time of his enlistment, he was practising as an accountant, probably at 376 William Street, Melbourne, the address he gave on the Electoral Rolls for both 1914 and 1919. His home address at the time he enlisted on 21 August 1914, was at 130 Grey Street, East Melbourne. He was placed in the 60th Battalion, A Company, and left for Egypt two months later on board HMAT Hororata A20 on 19 October, 1914. On his Enlistment form, he gave his age as 36; his record of birth, however, records his birth as 1876, making him 38. Perhaps he thought his age might count against him, or perhaps he just got it wrong. He was unusually tall for the time: six feet, weighing 12 stone, 3 lbs.

The Horarata stopped briefly at Albany, Western Australia, arriving at Suez on 2 December, 1914. On 25 April, the 6th Battalion formed part of the second wave of soldiers landing at Anzac Cove. From here they were moved to Cape Helles on 4 May, and took part in the failed attack on Krithia, before being returned to defend the beachead at Anzac Cove. On 20 May, he was promoted to Corporal.

It was at Anzac Cove that John Heaney was wounded on 14 July 1915, with shrapnel in the left thigh and left leg. Some months later, he wrote to a friend in Melbourne whose brother was missing in action. This letter was published in The Argus , on p. 7, 16 December, 1915, under the title A Cheery Soldier Makes Light of Wounds. It read, in part

I was issuing the midday biscuits & 'bully beef' to my sap sentry squad when Mr. 11.2 (a new high powered gun) came in our front door only about five yards from where I stood. It remember it said 'thud' in a very loud voice. When I woke up, I was sitting on my own neck with my feet neatly folded on my chest and a good mouthful of shell and grit. There were only two of the others left. I got the other two out and then discovered that my left leg was playing fountains. The good red gore was spouting out through puttees and pants in two places. I managed to reach the dressing station about a dozen strides behind the trench. Then I went by-by again. The only trouble was that my left calf was blown away and a new sap was opened up above the left knee. I have been nearly 13 weeks growing a new cald ... and after a few more weeks in hospital and a fortnight's furlough ... I shall be fit to renew the argument with Abdul or some of that ilk.

He was sent out to a hospital ship, then transferred to Serapeum on 25 July on the H S Sicilia.From Serapeum, he was moved to the Military Hospital at  Malta, before being sent back to England on the HS Asturias and admitted to the New End Military Hospital at Hampstead. He remained here, as his letter said, for  around fifteen weeks, then had furlough, which he spent in England and Scotland, before returning to duty in Egypt on 25 March, 1916. Three months later, on 15 June, he was hospitalised with Enteric fever, a form of typhoid, caused by eating/drinking  faecally contaminated food or water, the result of the  poor hygiene and lack of sanitation of army camps. James Heaney's case was considered to be so bad, that his next of kin was notified that he was 'dangerously ill'. On 20 July, he was moved to British Red Cross Headquarters with para-typhoid. He must have been in recovery phase then, because on 11 August, he was discharged to duty and on 27 August, sent back to England on board the Megantic. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant 1 on 8 September, to work at Australian Administrative Headquarters in London. 

James Heaney remained as a Staff Sergeant in London throughout 1918. At the end of 1918, he was granted  75 days leave with pay, from 13 November, 1918 to 27 January, 1919. He left England to come back to Australia on 7 November, 1919, on board the H T Marathon, disembarking at Melbourne on 24 December, 1919.

It is difficult to trace him afer that, largely because there were numerous James Heaneys in Australia, and he appears to have had no second name. He was certainly back working in William St., in 1919, but cannot be traced after that. He died on 11 July, 1951, aged 75.