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John Gordon Atkinson - Information

When the war began, John Gordon Atkinson was living with his cousin John Smilter in the Camden Park Estates, where he worked as a labourer. At the age of 29, he enlisted at the Royal Showground Camp in Sydney on the 15th of March 1916. John commenced his training at Cootamundra, and was then posted as a Private to the 56th Battalion. In July, he was transferred to the 2nd Heavy and later Medium Trench Mortar Battery at Menangle Park Camp as a Gunner. He then left for war service departing Sydney Harbour on the 30th of September 1916 on the HMAT Aeneas.

John arrived in Plymouth on the 19th of November, and was marched out to Parkhouse Camp for further instruction. He was then shipped out to France from Folkestone in March 1917. Here, John was transferred to the 10th Battery, 6th Field Artillery Brigade. He and his mates provided artillery support for the troops, during the Third Battle of Ypres and throughout the many devastating battles in 1918. He was appointed Driver on the 1st of July. After the war ended, John was sent back to Australia in June 1919, returning to his civilian life after he was discharged. By the mid 1920s, John had relocated to Taroom in Queensland.