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Some of the most serious riots in British military history took place at Kinmel Park, North Wales in March 1919. We remember the tragic fate of the men who survived four years of fighting during WW1, only to be killed by their own comrades as they waited for ships to take them home to Canada.

It was a disaster waiting to happen, and on a dreadful evening in March 1919, mutiny broke out amongst nearly 20,000 disease-ridden, war weary Canadian troops stationed at Kinmel Park in Rhyl, North Wales.

Thousands of soldiers were waiting their return to Canada, stuck for months in an old military training camp, for news of ships sailing from Liverpool.

Many of these soldiers had been involved in the great battles of World War I, including the Battle of the Somme. Having survived the horrors of four years on the battlefield, they thought the fighting was over, but by morning's light many of them would be wounded and five dead, killed by their own countrymen.

Although the means did not justify the end, the result of the mutiny was that troops stationed at Kinmel were given priority for returning to Canada, and by March 25th approximately 15,000 soldiers had been redeployed to Canada.

After 4 years of war, it must have been surprising to the residents of Bodelwyddan to hear about soldiers waiting to go home being killed. They provided a custom tombstone for Corporal Joseph Young, who was killed during the rioting. It reads:
鈥淪omeday, sometime we鈥檒l understand鈥�

Location: Kinmel Park Camp, Kinmel Estate, Abergele, Conwy, LL22 9DA
Image: Canadian soldiers at Kinmel Park March 1919, after the riots.
Presenter: Julian Putkowski, Military Historian and Broadcaster

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