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It would be difficult to visit St Margaret’s Church in Bodelwyddan and not notice the rows of war graves outside. The churchyard the final resting place of more than 110 men and women who served in the Commonwealth forces during the First World War; the earliest war graves date from the summer of 1916. More than 30 of those buried here were British soldiers, many from Welsh regiments, but the majority (83) served with the Canadian army. Buried alongside them are a Canadian nurse and a member of Queen Mary’s Auxiliary Corps, a female unit which provided logistical and clerical support for the army.

In December 1918, No 9 Canadian General Hospital relocated to nearby Kinmel Camp and remained there until June 1919. In the months following the armistice of November 1918, as many as 15000 Canadians were housed at Kinmel Park. Most had served in France and were moved to Britain to await their passage home. Discontent among waiting soldiers led to several disturbances in Canadian camps across Britain; the worst was at Kinmel where 5 Canadian soldiers died during rioting which occurred on 4 and 5 March 1919. Four of these men are buried here. However, most of the Canadians laid to rest at Bodelwyddan were victims of the influenza pandemic which reached Kinmel in late 1918. “Spanish Flu” is estimated to have killed some 50 million people across the world between 1918 and 1920; around ¼ million in Britain alone.

The red sandstone memorial (SJ0075 : Canadian War Memorial at St Margaret's Church) amid the graves is inscribed: “To the memory of Canadian soldiers who died at Kinmel Park Camp during the Great War. This memorial was erected by their comrades. Their name liveth for evermore.”

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