camp at St Marychurch, a "Special YMCA" being opened for their use. 1918 The continuing presence of the New Zealanders resulted in the opening of a YMCA in Torquay at Maycliff in St. Luke's Road in April and, a month later, the Kia Toa Club (now the Victorian Arcade) for those awaiting repatriation. The Council gave each serviceman "suitably inscribed views of Torquay"; in all, 22,000 were distributed. Many of the New Zealanders sailed home in RMS Ruihine which was anchored well out in the Bay. September 1918 saw a serious outbreak of the Spanish flu which was ravaging the world at the time, over 100 American servicemen died at the Oldway Hospital in a fortnight from the disease; they were buried in Paignton cemetery, but were later exhumed and taken back to the United States. Armistice was declared on 11 November and some weeks later there was excitement at the harbour when the German submarine U-161 arrived while British 'water-planes flew in the air [and] descended on to the water' (possibly an early example of the 'victory roll'). These were seaplanes from the base on Beacon Quay which had been there throughout the War, the Coastlines shed being altered for use as a hangar. It was operated by the RNAS with Short 184 seaplanes but became "No. 239 Squadron RAF" after the amalgamation of the RFC and RNAS in April. The final act to Torquay's war experience was on Boxing Day 1918 when the town mayor handed back the regimental colours of the Dubliners to a Guard from the 1st Dublin Fusiliers, the colours having hung in the Council Chamber for four years. Out of a battalion 1,100 strong that had arrived in Torquay a few years ago, only 40 were left: the regiment having been decimated at the Landing at Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli campaign. Inter war period After the Great War an effective advertising campaign by the Great Western Railway Company was responsible for making Torquay a major resort. In 1924 Torquay hosted the International Summer School of the Anthroposophy Society, which event was widely covered in the local press and was the final visit by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner to Britain. The interest in Torquay culminated on August Bank Holiday in 1938, just before the outbreak of World War II, when 20,000 passengers arrived in Torquay station, followed by 50 trains the next day.