AN Old Colwyn author has published a book on the history of Kinmel Camp.

John Johnson spent six years researching and writing the volume, entitled 100 Years Kinmel Camp. It covers the building of Kinmel Camp, the new railway within its confines and the Canadian Riots, and some short stories of units of men who passed through it gates over the past 100 years which included his Great Grandfather William Lees Johnson who served in the Toronto Regiment.

John said: “All the royalties from the sales of this book will help fund a project to purchase two flag poles for St. Margaret's Church, Bodlewyddan. A Welsh flag and one Canadian flag, something I feel should have been done many, many years ago.”

The Camp is notorious for the riot which erupted there in March 1919, in which a large number of soldiers expressed anger at their treatment at the end of the First World War.

The riot broke out in the Canadian section of the camp, and lasted for a night and a day. Five men were killed and 23 injured, including two junior officers. It was reported soldiers were angry after the cancellation of several troop ships to Canada. Another cause of resentment was that the promise that men who enlisted first would be sent home first had not been honoured.

Four of the five Canadian troops killed during the riot were buried in the graveyard of Bodelwyddan church among other Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorials.

Most of the war graves, however, are casualties of the Spanish flu pandemic.

John served in the British Army for 27 years and has established a reputation as a military historian having written several books on Canadian military forces.

Copies of the book, can be obtained from Amazon at Http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1695434544.