Our meeting this month started with Richard, our Chairman, welcoming the Members, of which there were many, attending the evening's talk which was given by Lorraine Lister.

Lorraine attended dressed as a WW1 nurse, an appropriate costume to her talk which was all about the riots at Kinmel Camp in 1919.Her interest in this topic has meant many years of intense research and featured mainly on 5 Canadian soldiers who were fatalities at this time.

After the Armistice in November 1918 the Canadian forces were sent back to Kinmel Camp to await repatriation. Kinmel camp was huge and overcrowded , the food was poor and resentment started to build up among the troops.

They were eager, obviously, to return home and as a result of the 1918/19 Spanish flu outbreak there had already been 80 deaths The command of the camp was also suspect and discipline was poor.

By early 1919 the mood in the Camp was becoming restive as they were put through exercises which many thought to be irrelevant and all they wanted to do was return home as those who returned early would get the jobs available in Canada.

It also became common knowledge that a number of large ships had been reallocated to American troops, who had not served overseas as long as the Canadians.

This led to anger and resentment and on 4th March 1919 they chose Sapper William Tasarevich to be the leader of which would later be described as a riot.

This involved looting and vandalism within the camp and also outside in the popup town surrounding the Camp.

The result s of this “riot” were the deaths of 5 soldiers, all of whom died on the 5th March 1919 but how they died is still a bit of a mystery also to who killed them.

The men included their leader Sapper Tasarevich who was killed by a bayonet wound in the abdomen, Private David Gillan with a bullet would to the neck, Gunner William Lyle Hanley with a bullet wound to the head, Private Joseph Young with a bayonet wound to the head and finally Gunner John Frederick Hickman who it is said was killed by a stray bullet and exonerated from any part in the riot.

He also is the only one who is buried in Canada the other 4 being interred in St Margarets churchyard in Bodelwyddan. The stories about the deaths of these 5 men are many and varied, were they innocent bystanders or Rioters? As a result of the riot the troops were quickly shipped off back to Canada in case there were other stories that may unfold.

Lorraine also brought many artifacts that have been found on the Kinmel camp site including a bayonet, a grenade(empty!!),tin mug, bottles. Boot, watch all relevant to this time in the Camp`s history. Thank you Lorraine for a most interesting talk.

Our next talk will be on the 4th October at 7pm in the Community Centre and will be about “The Witches of Wales” given by Morgan Ditchburn, who has invited our Members to dress accordingly if they so wish.

Also on our notices you will find an exhibition on the 4th October , 2.30-4.30 at Rhuddlan Library about "Prestatyn as a seaside resort" This is the Jane Burrows Collection