Epsom Riot

Station-Sergeant Thomas Green, killed in the Epsom Riot of 1919

The Epsom Riot occurred when about 400 Canadian soldiers rioted and attacked the police station at Epsom, England on 17 June 1919, resulting in the death of Station-Sergeant Green, a British police officer, who died of his injuries the following day.^[1]

The riot

Police Officers guard Epsom police station after the riot

In the summer of 1919, World War I had been over for over half a year, but many of the British Empire's soldiers still had not been sent home. Unhappy at the delay in being returned to Canada, the men of some Canadian regiments stationed at Woodcote Camp on Epsom Downs became increasingly restive. Two of their number, Privates MacDonald and Veinotte, were arrested after a fight in 'The Rifleman' public house in Epsom on Derby Day.

On 17 June 1919, about 20 of their friends gathered outside the police station in Ashley Road demanding their release, while sending word back to other soldiers at the camp to come down to the town to assist them. About 400 Canadian soldiers gathered; in time, they attacked the police station, intending to release MacDonald and Veinotte. Thereafter, the 400 soldiers ran riot through Epsom, breaking windows and destroying property in a trail of destruction more than a mile and a half long.^[2]

When the rioters stormed the police station, it was defended by 16 police officers armed with wooden truncheons. During the ensuing fighting 11 policemen were injured, and Sergeant Thomas Green, aged 51, was fatally wounded when he was hit on the head with an iron bar. He died in Epsom Hospital the next day without having regained consciousness.^[2]

Scotland Yard detectives arrested Allan McMaster, 30, a former blacksmith, whom they believed to be the rioters' leader. However, the Canadian soldiers refused to identify him. Despite this, McMaster and seven other soldiers were put on trial at Guildford in July, accused of rioting and manslaughter. Justice Charles Darling presided. The accused were: James Connors, 19, private, 13th Canadian Highlanders; Robert Alexander McAllan, 45, C.A.M.C.; Allan McMaster, 30, private, 3rd Canadians; Alphonse Masse, 27, C.A.M.C.; Gervase Porier, 24 C.A.M.C.; Herbert Tait, 29, gunner, 11th Division Canadians; Frank Harold Wilkie, 21, private, 102nd Battalion Canadians and David Verex, 32, private, Canadian Forestry Corps.^[3] The prosecution, which included Cecil Whiteley KC, presented a case which was so ineffectual that the four accused were quickly acquitted of manslaughter, and were found guilty only of rioting. They were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. Within weeks they were pardoned by the Prince of Wales and returned to Canada.^[2]

Back in Canada, McMaster confessed to the murder of Sergeant Green in 1929, and was detained by the Canadian police, but he was released after Scotland Yard said he had been legally dealt with by the Guildford court in relation to Green's death. This left the case officially unsolved.

In 2010 We Are Not Manslaughterers by Martin Knight was published. The book contended that the mysterious death of a Canadian soldier in Epsom days after that of Sgt. Green was a revenge killing.^[4]

References

↑ The Epsom Advertiser incorporating the Epsom Observer 25 July 1919
1 2 3 Gone But Not Forgotten The True Crime Library
↑ The Epsom Riot - A Parade at Bow Street - Canadian Sent For Trial The Epsom Advertiser incorporating the Epsom Observer 4 July 1919
↑ Martin Knight (2010). We Are Not Manslaughterers. ISBN 978-1-907183-14-0.

External links

The Epsom Riot in The National Archives
The Epsom Advertiser incorporating the Epsom Observer 27 June 1919
The Epsom Advertiser incorporating the Epsom Observer 4 July 1919
'Assault on precinct Epsom'
Sergeant Thomas Green remembered in the Metropolitan Police Book of Remembrance

Riots in England

12th–19th century	1189 Massacre of the Jews 1196 Poor riot 1355 St Scholastica Day riot 1381 Peasants' Revolt 1517 Evil May Day 1668 Bawdy House Riots 1710 Sacheverell riots 1714 Coronation riots 1715 England riots 1769 Spitalfield Riots 1780 Gordon riots 1791 Priestley riots 1793 Bristol Bridge riot 1809 Old Price Riots 1816 Spa Fields riots 1816 Ely and Littleport riots 1819 Peterloo Massacre 1830 Swing riots 1831 Queen Square riots (Bristol) 1832 Days of May 1838 Battle of Bossenden Wood 1896 Newlyn riots

Early 20th century	1907 Brown Dog riots 1919 Epsom riot 1919 Battle of Bow Street 1919 Luton Peace Day riots 1932 Old Market riot (Bristol) 1936 Battle of Cable Street 1958 Notting Hill race riots

1970s	1970 Garden House riot 1975 Chapeltown race riot 1977 Battle of Lewisham

1980s	1980 St. Pauls riot 1981 England riots 1981 Brixton riot 1981 Chapeltown race riot 1981 Toxteth riots 1981 Moss Side riot 1981 Handsworth riots 1981 Scarman report 1985 Handsworth riots 1985 Brixton riot 1985 Broadwater Farm riot 1987 Chapeltown race riot 1989 Dewsbury race riot

1990s	1990 Poll Tax riots 1990 Strangeways Prison riot 1991 Meadow Well riots 1991 Handsworth riots 1992 Hartcliffe riot (Bristol) 1995 Manningham riot 1995 Brixton riot

2000s	2001 Bradford riots 2001 Oldham riots 2001 Harehills riot 2005 Birmingham race riots 2009 G-20 London summit protests

2010s	2010 UK student protests 2011 Stokes Croft riot (Bristol) 2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protests 2011 England riots

Related	1979 Death of Blair Peach 1985 Death of Keith Blakelock 2009 Death of Ian Tomlinson 2011 Death of Mark Duggan 2011 House of Reeves fire List of riots Leeds London Riot Riot Act Riot control Public Order Act 1986 Territorial Support Group

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