COMPLETED**Which airship did my grandmother see brought down in 1916?

[PrueM]

Hello all 

I have been slowly sorting through the various version of my Nana's early life story, with a view to consolidating it and typing it all out for my website.  As I go, I'm collecting information and pictures etc. of the events and places that Nana mentioned.  One of her most vividly described memories involves watching an airship (she calls it a Zeppelin) being shot down somewhere over London.

I wondered whether, if I post the details here, someone might be able to confirm for me exactly when this might have happened (I know it was 1916 but that's it) and where the ship was brought down.  My own research suggests it was the L31 which fell on Potter's Bar 1st Oct 1916, but could they have seen this from Loughborough Junction?  They had a 3 storey house and watched from the top. 

Your advice is appreciated!  I will post a link here from the Armed Forces Board, in case anyone there can help.

"After Siddy [Nana's little brother who died in February 1916], Mum found a place at 146 Loughborough Rd, near Loughborough Junction... One night, sick of the cold, dark coal-hole and as the air-raid was not near our area, we climbed up to the top to watch tracer bullets and busy searchlights forever trying to pinpoint our worst attacker.  Suddenly a great blaze – we saw the very first Zeppelin brought down, pop-eyed with amazement.  Then we cheered, and so did ALL LONDON – you should have heard the joyous roar!!  I’ll never forget that night."

Thanks 
Cheers
Prue

[angi0]

http://www.richthofen.com/dark_autumn/

not sure if this will help prue

Angie

[angi0]

http://www.firstworldwar.com/airwar/bombers_zeppelins.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeppelin#During_World_War_I

http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/pottersbar.htm

some more info

angie

[PrueM]

Hi Angie 

Thanks alot for those links 

I have actually done a bit of research on the web which is where I got the information about the L31 Potters Bar incident and others including (from memory) the L32 at Woolwich the same night.
What I really want to know is whether Nana could have seen the L31 incident from the 3rd floor of her house in Loughborough, on the other side of greater London, or was it another one that she witnessed?

Thank you Angie for your interest, it's much appreciated 

[angi0]

Hi Prue

Im inclined to agree with ouy that is was indeed the L-21 I had jumped the guna little and only read the first part of the post however got the same information that you have sourced.. hope someone comes along and knows which one it could have been..

I will watch with great interest as the stories on those site's were brilliant..

Godd Luck Prue

Angie

[Springbok]

Just spotted this thread and it probably would  have been the L21 which came down at Cuffley(Not sure where that is, but N.London)? ( My ancient senile memory has it as the 101 but seems not)

My Grandad had a friend in the Police who gave him a copy of the official Photo. For those days pretty horrific and not for general viewing.

My Ma lent it to my 10yr old son (1970)to show at school and it vanished!! I was furious.! She did say that it was the first one to be brought down.

Spring

P.S. Pru quite a distance from Loughborough , but it is still quite possible. No light pollution as now, and still above the Earths curvature.I can remember seeing the Crystal Palace burning in the '30s and we were 50 miles away. Most people these days just don't realise what pitch darkness is. Street lights went out at midnight and the only time there was light was either the Moon or when it snowed.!

[PrueM]

Hi Springbok, thanks for the info 

Cuffley is in north london - it was the SL-11 airship that was shot down there in September 1916.  I found the following bit of info on a website (http://www.richthofen.com/dark_autumn/)

The SL-11, commanded by Wilhelm Schramm, arrived over northern London at St. Albans. As she bombed the northern suburbs, the airship was picked up by searchlights at Finsbury and Victoria Parks. Turning back to the north, the SL-11 was spotted by Second Lieutenant Robinson, the same pilot who had seen the LZ-98. Robinson approached and fired two full drums of the new Brock-Pomeroy ammunition to no effect. As the zeppelin cleared the searchlight defenses, the British plane made one more pass, firing another full drum into the airship's side. This time, a bright glow showed inside the ship, and within seconds, the fabric burned away as the airship turned into a blazing torch. Her slow descent to earth at Cuffley was not only seen by all of London, but also by the Navy zeppelins then making their approach.

The next airships to be brought down over London were not until October, so SL-11 was definitely the first.  This could well be the one I've been looking for!  Thank you for the lead!!

I live a good distance from any big cities, and on a clear night with no moon, and all the lights in the house turned off, the visibility is absolutely incredible - the milky way is like a thick white band across the sky out here, and you can see satellites passing overhead quite regularly.  I can understand how it would have been possible, back then, to see from Loughborough to the skies over Cuffley, particularly as there would have been blackout conditions.

Cheers
Prue

[Springbok]

Pru,

I'm in UK , and not far from London ,still have relatively dark conditions.

One daughter lives in the depths of Dorset, son in rural USA and other Daughter in NZ..  It is just still possible to go out and see limited views of the skies and see just how wonderful the universe is.

I sadly haven't recently seen the Milky Way,nor a spectacular shooting star shower for years, nor even the Aurora . I still have the chidhood memories of  the '30s , being wrapped up and taken out into the back garden to watch and wonder.

Spring

[PrueM]

Hi Spring 

Even my nephews who live only 3 hours away in Sydney are amazed when they come to my place and we sit on the front lawn and look up at the stars.  The sky at their house always glows orange from the lights 

I had a struggle last year trying to explain to my other little nephew, who lives in the US and was visiting, what the Milky Way was, and why he could see so many stars!

One of my big dreams is to see an Aurora, north or south I don't mind.  I saw a very brief one one night while driving into Canberra a few years ago - I thought it was some light show reflecting on the clouds from the football stadium, but it was a beautiful blue-green aurora australis 

Prue