Zeppelin Raid - London September 1915

[borabeetle]

I am trying to verify my grandfathers account of this attack for inclusion in his memoirs to be published next year. At the time he was a medical student at St Barts and he describes in detail the raid in particular the effect of the bomb dropped on Bartholomew Close/Little Britain, very close to the hospital. He also wrote that there was a huge crater in front of a public house the students nicknamed The Nipple and that the landlord was killed by the bomb (allegedly his remains were found in a nearby tree shortly afterwards)..apparently the first bomb hit Liverpool Street, the second Bartholomew Close, the third Smithfield and subsequent bombs near Hampstead Heath. Can anyone shed any light on these details or provide more?? Or suggest publications or sources that could help me??

Many thanks!

[MikeMeech]

Hi

'London 1914-17, The Zeppelin Menace' by Ian Castle, published by Osprey is probably worth a look. Page 38 has a map of the L.13 raid on 8/9th September 1915, it shows bombs both on Bartholomew Close and Liverpool Street (amongst others) but not quite as your post describes.

I hope that helps

Mike

[spconnolly007]

According to Thomas Fegan (The Baby Killers) on the night of 8/9 September, the L13 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Mathy dropped the single largest bomb to date on Bartholomew Close, weighing 600lb. From his view up above, Mathy was delighted with its result, writing in his report: "the explosive effect of the 300kg bomb must be very great, since a whole row of lights vanished in one stroke". Apparently he then dropped a ham-bone attached to a parachute over Barnet: on it was painted a German flag with the words 'a memento from starved-out Germany'. Twenty-six people died during the raid and a further ninety-four injured. Fegan also notes that in material terms this raid was the most destructive of the entire war.

Regards,

Sean.

[CGM]

...........apparently the first bomb hit Liverpool Street, the second Bartholomew Close, the third Smithfield and subsequent bombs near Hampstead Heath. ...............Many thanks!

I think the order may have become reversed.

According to Frank Morison's War on Great Cities (1937) the route Mathy took was The Wash, Cambridge, Potters Bar, Golders Green, Primrose Hill, N.E. corner of Regent's Park, slightly to the W. of Euston Station, Southampton Row in the direction of Clerkenwell, and on to Bartholomew Close.

I have not included details of the bombs dropped and the damage and loss of life incurred during Mathy's flight up until this point.

The public house you mentioned could have been the Admiral Carter. William Fenge*, who lived on the premises, and Frederick Saunders, a carrier of Bermondsey where killed instantly.

Does your grandfather mention the marble fountain which was rent asunder?

At this point Mathy began to come under fire and had to retreat.

He dropped bombs on Moorgate and Finsbury Pavement and then Liverpool Street Station where there was the greatest loss of life.

I can confirm the death of the landlord.

*In 1911 William Fenge, a Publican, lived at 3, Bartholomew Close, West Smithfield, with his wife Amy Fenge, a Licensed Victualler, and his 1 year old son.

His death, aged 36, was registered in London City in the 3Q 1915.

CGM

[borabeetle]

Hi

'London 1914-17, The Zeppelin Menace' by Ian Castle, published by Osprey is probably worth a look. Page 38 has a map of the L.13 raid on 8/9th September 1915, it shows bombs both on Bartholomew Close and Liverpool Street (amongst others) but not quite as your post describes.

I hope that helps

Mike

Thanks so much, will follow up.

[borabeetle]

I think the order may have become reversed.

According to Frank Morison's War on Great Cities (1937) the route Mathy took was The Wash, Cambridge, Potters Bar, Golders Green, Primrose Hill, N.E. corner of Regent's Park, slightly to the W. of Euston Station, Southampton Row in the direction of Clerkenwell, and on to Bartholomew Close.

I have not included details of the bombs dropped and the damage and loss of life incurred during Mathy's flight up until this point.

The public house you mentioned could have been the Admiral Carter. William Fenge*, who lived on the premises, and Frederick Saunders, a carrier of Bermondsey where killed instantly.

Does your grandfather mention the marble fountain which was rent asunder?

At this point Mathy began to come under fire and had to retreat.

He dropped bombs on Moorgate and Finsbury Pavement and then Liverpool Street Station where there was the greatest loss of life.

I can confirm the death of the landlord....

*In 1911 William Fenge, a Publican, lived at 3, Bartholomew Close, West Smithfield, with his wife Amy Fenge, a Licensed Victualler, and his 1 year old son.

His death, aged 36, was registered in London City in the 3Q 1915.

CGM

Wow I'm so grateful for this...btw what is 3Q 1915? No mention of the marble fountain as far as bomb goes but the fountain in Hospital Square in mentioned quite a bit - is it the same one I wonder? re order of bombs he wrote his memoirs in his late 70s so details sketchy in part to say the least...many thanks for your help.

According to Thomas Fegan (The Baby Killers) on the night of 8/9 September, the L13 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Mathy dropped the single largest bomb to date on Bartholomew Close, weighing 600lb. From his view up above, Mathy was delighted with its result, writing in his report: "the explosive effect of the 300kg bomb must be very great, since a whole row of lights vanished in one stroke". Apparently he then dropped a ham-bone attached to a parachute over Barnet: on it was painted a German flag with the words 'a memento from starved-out Germany'. Twenty-six people died during the raid and a further ninety-four injured. Fegan also notes that in material terms this raid was the most destructive of the entire war.

Regards,

Sean.

Thanks Sean, will follow your lead.

[spconnolly007]

Glad to be of help. 3Q means 3rd quarter of the year, as in july-September.

Regards,

Sean.

[johnboy]

Have a look at this previous thread, it mentions the hospital. Post 3

 

 

[borabeetle]

On 08/08/2013 at 08:15, johnboy said:

Have a look at this previous thread, it mentions the hospital. Post 3

http://1914-1918.inv...howtopic=141137

 

Thanks, interesting though its a different hospital?

[johnboy]

Thanks, interesting though its a different hospital?

Mathy dropped the first 660lb bomb dropped by a Zeppelin on London during the raid which landed close to St. Bart's Hospital.

You didn't refer to St. Barts Hospital in your original post?

[borabeetle]

Mathy dropped the first 660lb bomb dropped by a Zeppelin on London during the raid which landed close to St. Bart's Hospital.

You didn't refer to St. Barts Hospital in your original post?

Yes I did sorry I only looked at original post in your link which was nurse diaries at another hospital....bit slow this morning! Thanks again...

[johnboy]

No problem, happens to us all.

[Warwick]

My Great Great Uncle was stationed at Wellington Barracks in SW London at the time of the Zepplin Raids (P Company, Scots Guards) and in a letters home on the 15th September 1915 he writes of having had a rough time with the Zeppelin raids.

He was out of barracks at the time, just coming out of a theatre when he heard 6 bombs drop and explode within the space of two minutes, all about a half a mile away. He then left a parcel of things he was carrying with the door staff of the theatre "so I could be freehanded for emergencies" and ran back to barracks with the zeppelin caught in the lights, "it was visible in the searchlights for quite 10 minutes: - very tiny and high it looked - with shells bursting all underneath it from our guns. It shone like silver in the lights".

He talks of damage being heavy with "a whole street in Holborn being fired". Arriving at barracks he found "50 motor buses in the barracks square waiting to take us somewhere, but we didn't leave".

He also writes of the panic caused: "A girl rushed up to one of the fellows in my room (on the embankment), and said 'O soldier, take me home' so he did and had no cause for regret he says"

Apparently people started to hold "zeppelin parties at night in each others houses, afraid to go to bed".

Regards,

Warwick

[Milan]

Thanks for sharing that with us, Warwick.

[spconnolly007]

Thanks Warwick, I remember reading a reference to 'zeppelin parties' somewhere. Any chance of you posting some more of your GGU's writings, very interesting.

Regards,

Sean.

[Milan]

"Any chance of you posting some more of your GGU's writings, very interesting."

- Sean, check out some of Warwick's older posts.

Cheers, Milan

[Warwick]

Thanks Sean & Milan,

Without wishing to hijack borabeetles thread - you asked if there was a chance of posting more of my GGUs writings...

I hope to post more - it is a question of time and resources - I am extremely lucky to have hundreds of letters, postcards and the odd telegram, which I am gradually sorting through when I have the time! My GGU had a very full and varied war (London - Western Front - Salonika - Constantinople with a MID and MC along the way) and wrote lots of letters in the process!

I have yet to even read all the letters, and every time I dip into them I find something new - often then resorting to this forum to check the context... and we all know how time consuming this website is!

For now I will keep throwing the odd snippet into conversations where relevant, while I sort through the archive in odd bits of spare time. I hope in the future that I find the time to do something suitably worthy with the wealth of material I am custodian of.

kind regards

Warwick

[johnboy]

I came across this which is entitled The Defence of London. It gives a description of the planning, guns. locations and reports of actions against Zepperlins over London. It also covers coastal defences. Some good pics of guns used taken at the time. The mobile ones are an eye opener!!

http://archive.org/stream/defenceoflondon100rawluoft#page/n311/mode/2up

[spconnolly007]

Thanks for the link johnboy.

Warwick, sounds like a website in the making? How lucky you are to have such a collection. I will keep an eye out for the 'odd snippet' in the meantime

Regards,

Sean.

[David Porter]

I have these extracts from the War Diary of General Staff, 1st Army Central Force (WO 95/5453)

LONDON September 8, 1915

Three Zeppelins raided LONDON & Eastern Counties during the night of 7th/8th Sept. - they came in at FOULNESS, CLACTON & BRADWELL, all three heading for LONDON - Bombs were dropped on LONDON, WOOLWICH, FRAMLINGTON, DEPTFORD, MILLWALL & CHESHUNT - Considerable damage was done to house property. Casualties - Killed, Men 2, Women 3, Children 5, - Injured, Men 13, Women 16, Children 14, - Missing, Men 1, Women 2.

LONDON September 9, 1915

On the night of 8th/9th September, between the hours of 8pm and 1am, LONDON & the East Coast was raided by Zeppelins - the number is estimated as 4. Bombs were dropped on LONDON, EAST DEREHAM, SKINNINGROVE and at sea near GALLOTE LIGHTSHIP - Great damage was done in LONDON where fires broke out at WOOD Street, ADDLE Street and FARRINGDON Street - Casualties - Killed, Men 12, Women 2, Children 6, - Injured, Men 46, Women 27, Children 13.

LONDON September 11, 1915

One Zeppelin raided the East Coast - Bombs were dropped on the RFA lines at EPPING - No casualties done

LONDON September 12, 1915

One Zeppelin over Eastern Counties - Eleven explosive & incendiary bombs were dropped near HILLS FARM about eleven miles S.W. of IPSWICH, but did no damage.

LONDON September 13, 1915

At 5:40pm a German Sea Plane dropped 9 high explosive bombs on CLIFTONVILLE, 1.5 miles West of MARGATE STATION - Three houses and two stables were damaged - Four persons were injured, two of them were seriously hurt. At 11:15pm Zeppelin reported over Eastern Counties - Fifteen bombs were dropped at WALDRINGTON, but no damage was done.

[Guest grannykathy03]

I think the order may have become reversed.

According to Frank Morison's War on Great Cities (1937) the route Mathy took was The Wash, Cambridge, Potters Bar, Golders Green, Primrose Hill, N.E. corner of Regent's Park, slightly to the W. of Euston Station, Southampton Row in the direction of Clerkenwell, and on to Bartholomew Close.

I have not included details of the bombs dropped and the damage and loss of life incurred during Mathy's flight up until this point.

The public house you mentioned could have been the Admiral Carter. William Fenge*, who lived on the premises, and Frederick Saunders, a carrier of Bermondsey where killed instantly.

Does your grandfather mention the marble fountain which was rent asunder?

At this point Mathy began to come under fire and had to retreat.

He dropped bombs on Moorgate and Finsbury Pavement and then Liverpool Street Station where there was the greatest loss of life.

I can confirm the death of the landlord.

*In 1911 William Fenge, a Publican, lived at 3, Bartholomew Close, West Smithfield, with his wife Amy Fenge, a Licensed Victualler, and his 1 year old son.

His death, aged 36, was registered in London City in the 3Q 1915.

CGM

I am one of Willaim Fenge's great nieces so this is of great interest, any further information would be very much appreciated

[Guest grannykathy03]

I knew that William my Grandfather's eldest brother had been killed in this raid, more information would be good

[CGM]

Hello grannykathy03,

Welcome to the forum!

I have sent you a private message which I hope you receive. (testing.....testing.....)

CGM

[CGM]

The piece about William:

The Close mentioned is Bartholomew Close.

I have replied to your PM.

[RzJV7gzu]

On 07/08/2013 at 13:44, borabeetle said:

I am trying to verify my grandfathers account of this attack for inclusion in his memoirs to be published next year. At the time he was a medical student at St Barts and he describes in detail the raid in particular the effect of the bomb dropped on Bartholomew Close/Little Britain, very close to the hospital. He also wrote that there was a huge crater in front of a public house the students nicknamed The Nipple and that the landlord was killed by the bomb (allegedly his remains were found in a nearby tree shortly afterwards)..apparently the first bomb hit Liverpool Street, the second Bartholomew Close, the third Smithfield and subsequent bombs near Hampstead Heath. Can anyone shed any light on these details or provide more?? Or suggest publications or sources that could help me??

Many thanks!

Did you publish your grandfather's memoirs?  I would love to read his account of the attack.