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Apr 10, 2014

When Colwyn Bay was diamonds' best friend


Diamond polishing was vital to the war effort in the 1940s, and Colwyn Bay was the perfect place for it - well away from enemy bombers. Gerrit Wins fled from ...

Belgium to avoid being forced to supply the Nazis with diamonds for their armaments, and set up a factory at what is now a car park in Colwyn Bay. For the full story, scan the HistoryPoints QR codes at the car park entrance. Or click here. Don't forget to read the Footnotes, where you'll discover how Gerrit's escape from the Nazis involved chasing after a departing ship in a motor launch and being hauled aboard on a rope ladder - while clutching a briefcase full of rough diamonds.