Kinmel Park Training Area facts for kids

Kinmel Park Training Area is a special place in Wales. It was once a big army training camp. It's near Abergele in Conwy county. The camp was built in 1915 during World War I. Soldiers trained there and later stayed there. In 1919, some Canadian soldiers had a protest there. It led to some sad events. After the war, the camp became much smaller.

History of Kinmel Camp

Kinmel Camp was built in 1915. This was during the First World War. It was made to train soldiers. The camp was in a valley between two hills. These hills were called Engine Hill and Primrose Hill. They were south of the village of Bodelwyddan. Before the camp, the area was mostly empty. There were only some old mining buildings nearby.

When it was built, Kinmel Camp was the biggest army camp in Wales. It was about 1.5 kilometers long and 0.75 kilometers wide.

Local people set up small shops near the camp. They called this area Tintown. Soldiers could buy basic things there. Sometimes, soldiers were allowed to travel by train to Rhyl. They went there for fun activities.

The Kinmel Camp Railway was built in 1915. It served the camp. Later, it was used for a nearby quarry. The railway finally closed in 1964.

The 1919 Soldier Protests

After World War I ended, many Canadian soldiers were still in Europe. The army first planned to send them home quickly. But many soldiers had family or friends in Britain. They wanted to visit them. This was a chance they might not get again. So, the army let them stay at Kinmel Camp for a while.

The living conditions at Kinmel Camp were very basic. After several months, the soldiers became unhappy. Their trips home were also delayed. This happened more than once. Ships meant for them were used to take other soldiers home instead.

Also, a sickness called Spanish flu spread at the camp. About 80 soldiers sadly died from it.

In early 1919, small problems started at the camp. Then, on March 4–5, 1919, a big protest happened. It is known as the Kinmel Park mutiny. About 20,000 tired soldiers showed their anger. They were upset about how they were being treated. The protest started in the Canadian part of the camp. It lasted for a night and a day. Five soldiers died, and 23 were hurt.

Four of the five Canadian soldiers who died were buried. They rest in the churchyard of Bodelwyddan church. Many other war graves are there too. Most of these graves are for soldiers who died from the Spanish flu.

Kinmel Camp Today

Most of the original camp was taken down. It was turned into an area for businesses. A smaller military camp still remains there. It was rebuilt to about half the size of the first camp. This smaller camp has training grounds and firing ranges. It can hold about 250 soldiers.

Today, the camp is home to the headquarters of the Clwyd and Gwynedd Army Cadet Force. It also houses 203 Field Hospital, RAMC. The camp is also used for military training exercises. These exercises take place in Snowdonia National Park.