Alfred Proulx was born on 7th October 1895 in Bookstand Pound Co. Drummond, Quebec, Canada.

The 1901 census for Canada on Ancestry.co.uk shows that the Proulx family was living in the sub district of Saint- Hyacinthe in the Province of Quebec. Head of the household, Misael Proulx was 40 and had been born in Quebec. He  was a Road Worker. His first language was French and his  religion was Roman Catholic. His wife, Alexina Perron was 36  and was also a native of Quebec.  They had seven children listed at home. They were, Joseph 18, Adelhard  16, Louis 14, Henri  12, Rosanna  8, Prudent  7 and Alfred who was 5.

Ten years on,  the 1911 census reveals that the Proulx family was living at 119 Desire in the District of Maisonneuve, Quebec, Canada. Head of the household, Misael  was 50 and was still a Road Worker.  His wife Alexina was 47.  The listed children were  Henri  22 ,a Spinner by trade.  Rosanna was 18, Prudent was  17  and was a Waiter by trade. Alfred was 16, Alice born in 1907,was 7 and  Gaston was aged 4. There was also a lodger by the name of Herve Lapolme aged 21 a Journalist.

Alfred Proulx’s army records tell us that he was was drafted into the 2nd Depot battalion of the 2nd Quebec Regiment on 30th May 1918. He enlisted in Montreal and his medical form described him as 5ft 7ins tall with a fair complexion, grey eyes and fair hair. Alfred’s address was  l160 Versailles, Montreal (His parents’ home). He was an Office Clerk by trade. His next of kin was named as M Proulx (Mother) and his religion was Roman Catholic.

After basic training in Canada, Alfred embarked for England aboard the S.S. Durham Castle arriving on 25th September 1918. He was posted to Bramshott Army Camp to complete his training and transferred to 10th Reserve Battalion of the Canadian Infantry.

As hostilities were coming to an end, Alfred was transferred to Kinmel Park Army Camp in Rhyl on 1st October 1918. Sadly Alfred contracted Bronchial Pneumonia, and was admitted to the Canadian General Hospital where he died on 30th October 1918.

(From Canadian Library Archives)

Kinmel Park Camp was a segregation camp used to house Canadian Soldiers awaiting repatriation to Canada after the end of WW1. Unfortunately the conditions at that time were extremely harsh with a lack of every kind of commodity, the camp was overcrowded and the services were poor, there were shortages of clothing, food and blankets. As a result of this situation, a vast number of servicemen and women became ill and many succumbed to the Influenza Epidemic or complications associated with this infection.

Alfred Proulx is buried in St. Margaret’s Cemetery, Bodelwyddan.

He is commemorated on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.