Rowland Winters was born either on 21st March 1897 ( Library of Canada, Attestation Papers) or March 11th 1897 ( Newfoundland Returns of Birth 1896-1897) in Wesleyville, Newfoundland.

I cannot trace the Winters family on any census forms at present but may be able to supply more information in the near future.

There are family trees on Ancestry.co.uk and I have contacted the owners to establish where and how they found their information.

Rowland’s army records tell us that he was drafted into the Canadian Army on 16th July 1918 at Regina, Saskatchewan. He named his next of kin as William Winters whose  address was  Wesleyville, P.O. Bona Vista Bay, Newfoundland. Rowland was a Fisherman. He was of single status and his religion was Methodist. On his medical form he was described as being 5ft 1in tall with a dark complexion, blue eyes and black hair. At the time of enlistment Rowland was living in Elbow, Saskatchewan.

After basic training in Canada, Rowland embarked for England on 10th September 1918 aboard the S.S. Durham Castle, arriving on 25th September 1918 when he was posted to Bramshott Army Camp and then immediately to Kinmel Army Camp in North Wales. Sadly Rowland contracted Influenza, and was admitted to the Canadian General Hospital where he died at 22.45 hrs. on 25th October 1918.

(From Library of Canada 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.

Rowland Winters is buried in St. Margaret’s Cemetery, Bodelwyddan, North Wales.

He is commemorated on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.

If you would like to know where Wesleyville is situated and the history of that region, please follow the link.

http://www.revolvy.com/page/Wesleyville%2C-Newfoundland-and-Labrador