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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Location of the SL 11 airship crash at Cuffley


taylov

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And if I remember the crowds could have been from anywhere, but if from Cuffley could help with the location.

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  • 1 month later...

There is footage of the unveiling of the Robinson memorial at Cuffley on the British Pathe site

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=18056

and of the man himself (with some duplication)

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=76500

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75967

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=80842

also of the wreckage display

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75686

Although none is given as being at Cuffley, there are also plenty of clips of WW1 Zepp. wreckage - possibly including that used in Andrew Marr's programme - available (home page http://www.britishpathe.com/index.php ) which can be found by searching using 'Zeppelin' (used 'advanced search' and restrict date range to avoid post WW1 coverage - although that's equally fascinating.)

Thanks are due to Desmond7 for pointing out the superb British Pathe site on his Ulster Tower opening footage, Found on pathe thread & to Thants for discovering it in the first place.

NigelS

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NigelS

Just had the chance to look at the British Pathe clips - great stuff! A quick search round is, indeed, worth the effort when it comes to Zeppelin wrecks and damage. I would recommend the following two clips:

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=77963

Entitled "Zeppelin Over Essex", it includes a lovely scene of five soldiers in a rowing boat dangling what looks to be an incendiary bomb over the side! I think that this may be taken after the Malden raid of April 1915.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=78788

"Zeppelin Visits Southend" - this shows the damage to West Road, Prittlewell, Westcliffe on Sea. I have a couple of postcards of this scene.

Happy New Year to all

David

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  • 2 weeks later...

Did anybody else notice that in the film of the wreckage the negatives were reversed. There is a sign showing TUO. :glare:

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The 'tin tabernacle' which was used as a makeshift mortuary at the time was where the road does a sharp right-angle and turns from being Plough Hill into E. Ridgeway. It was demolished in the 1960s although it remained on some maps until much more recently.

There is also extant film of the Potters Bar airship crash, and the funeral of the crew - I recognise the cemetery gate.

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  • 3 years later...
Guest soapytwist

I registered here due to a combination of living nearby Cuffley (and being born in Potters Bar), having a German wife(!), and seeing the Channel 4 documentary last night on the raids. I was also intrigued as to where the SL11 had crashed (I knew the memorial wasn't at the exact spot). Looking online I found this (second image is the interesting one):

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030005513

I also read somewhere (a while ago), that there was also a stone marking the spot of the crash (perhaps in amongst the new houses?) in addition to the memorial. The next time I'm passing, I'll have a quick look.

Ps. There must be something about Hertfordshire villages and balloon 'landings'. This is a few miles up the road:

http://www.welhamgreen.com/balloonCorner.html

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While clearing out a trunk that contained my stamp collection I found a "Relic of Zeppelin-L-21" - see the two photos.

We now know that actually it was SL 11 but the tag says L-21. This relic is part of the frame rather than wire as sold by the Red Cross.

I inherited the relic from my American grandmother in 1962. She was an active fundraiser in WW1 and WW2 for the British (and later American) war efforts and civilian relief. I can only assume she bought it or was given this relic in recognition of her contribution as a civilian. We have a number of other items of recognition.

My children aren't interested, so my question is what do I do with it?

Would any museum be interested in it? If not I might just put it on eBay.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Harper :poppy:

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post-17542-0-77039000-1378192100_thumb.j

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  • 1 month later...
QUOTE (NigelS @ Oct 22 2009, 10:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Castle Farm is present with Isaac Hunt a farmer (76) and his wife in residence in the 1901

I realise that it was a common name, but was he any relation of Basil Holdsworth Hunt?

I was just wondering why you were asking about Basil Holdsworth Hunt? I've just come across him in GEA in 1917 and was hoping you could tell me more about him?

Thx.

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  • 6 months later...

SL11 features prominently in Enfield Museum's current exhibition on World War 1. Although the airship crashed at Cuffley the actual shooting-down took place over Enfield after it had dropped most of its bombs there. The Museum's exhibition includes models of the airship and Leefe Robinson's plane, and a floor map indicates the airship's route and the places where bombs fell

http://www.enfield.gov.uk/downloads/file/8880/enfield_at_war_1914-1915_leaflet

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  • 4 months later...

A new book has just come out about SL11

Author: Eileen Bostle

Title: Enfield's night to remember: the airship raid of 2nd/3rd September 1916

Publisher: Enfield Museum Service

Price: £6

ISBN 978-0-906076-02-6

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My copy of Enfield's Night to Remember arrived yesterday. From a quick scan, it looks to be an excellent publication with some images that I've not seen before from the Enfield Local Studies & Archives and the floor map showing SL11's route over Enfield that "c u anon" mentioned above.

I provided the Enfield Museum Service with copies of a number of related postcards, some of which they have used in the book with acknowledgements. (So I got my name in print!)

Recommended

David

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  • 3 months later...
  • 7 months later...

Castle Farm Cuffley early 1920s with my great uncle George Taylor

Where abouts is Castle farm located?

I found this blog - http://www.jonathanhware.com/the-cuffley-connection.html

I found it interesting reading, linking together the site of the old church at the top of the hill from an old map, the plough and the letter from the school boy seems to give a pretty informed possible crash site location - if you scroll down near the bottom there is a map.

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  • 3 years later...

Further images from my 1916 souvenir booklet.

I omitted 2 images as they were night time pre crash shots of it in flames and they did not scan well. 

20190820_133413.jpg

20190820_133455.jpg

20190820_133529.jpg

20190820_133905.jpg

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