On page 32 In the book "This is Kuaotunu" by R.A. Simpson is the following tribute: "The greatest honour of all must go to those many ex-pupils of the Kuaotunu school who heard the call to arms in the two world wars and alas too many never returned. At the conclusion of the 1st World war a list was compiled of all ex-pupils and teachers who heard the call and from this list a beautifully framed Roll of Honour was completed and is on display in the present Kuaotunu Centennial Hall, 'which at one time was in the infant room of the school' and was removed to its present site." John Thomas Atkinson appears on this Roll of Honour as J. Atkinson.

He is recorded on the 1905 Supplementary No. 1 Electoral roll for the Bay of Plenty on line no. 6754, living at Waihi with occupation of miner. On the 1911 Ohinemuri Electoral Roll he is again recorded on line no. 190, living at Waihi, with occupation of miner. His WWI Army Service record has been digitised and is available for perusal on the Archives New Zealand Website through Archway. He was unmarried. This man is the grand-uncle of my husband whose family I have been researching. John's father James Atkinson was the first of this family to be born in New Zealand. He was the son of James Atkinson of the 65th regiment who took his discharge in New Zealand and settled with his large family at Wanganui.

John Thomas Atkinson was born at Coromandel town on 4th September 1884. NZBDM Historical Birth Record Ref. No. 1884/5859. His parents were James Atkinson and Catherine (Kate) nee White. The Atkinson family were gold miners at Coromandel, Kuaotunu, Opitonui and Waihi. According to the Index of the Coromandel Catholic Church Records he was baptised there In 1884. He was enrolled at Kuaotunu school on 17 April 1893, having transferred from Coromandel school. Ref. Register No 0134. On 20th February 1900 he is recorded in the Kuaotunu school records as leaving school with Opitonui as his destination. He would have been 15 years old with his 16th birthday due on 4 September 1900. It is likely that at this time John would have started his life as a Gold Miner. He is shown as a Miner working for Waihi Gold Mining Coy in 1916 when he applied to join up for War Service.