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Remembered Today:

ZEPPELIN RAID - BEDLINGTON NORTHUMBERLAND 1915


tullybrone

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Hi,a

I came across the attached photographs (postcards?) on the Bedlington local history site yesterday.

Does anyone have any knowledge of a Zeppelin raid there 14th April 1915 as described?

Steve Y

PS.

I note Tyneside Scottish soldier on one of the images.

post-75149-0-41078300-1383514779_thumb.j

post-75149-0-38462900-1383514803_thumb.j

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An extract from The History of The Great War Vol1V

"the next attack however, was of a more serious nature, and in this case the Zeppelin was again our uninvited guest. The airship, which was one of the new naval machines, evidently came from Emden, and was first seen over Blyth about 8.20 on the night of April 14th, 350miles in a direct line from its base. Passing inland, the giant gas-bag continued on its course north-west and dropped three bombs into Choppington. It then set out upon an extremely erratic course, which was no doubt due to the fact that prompt measures were taken by the authorities to confuse the raiders by obeying the standing orders and plunging the villages and towns into almost total darkness.

Bedlington was next favoured with six bombs, and though some property was damaged, one man only was wounded by a splinter in the wrist. Seaton Burn, Dudley, Annitsford, Killingworth, and Benton each received a bolt from the sky, but in no case was anyone hit. By this time the machine was coming perilously near to Newcastle, with its toiling thousands as busyat work by night as they are by day. But again the Germans were wide of the mark, and evidently mistaking Wallsend for its bigger sister commenced to bombard this busy place, and no less than six bombs fell among its crowded houses. One fell upon the railway that connects Newcastle with the towns around Tyneside, and a train crowded- as these trains always are about the time of the visit- had a narrow escape; another bomb struck a house, and a third fell into the River Tyne. Two more missiles from the great indistinct shape looming overhead fell into a field at Berkeleys Farm and a white flame rose ten feet from the ground and burned furiously for over a minute. After its short visit to Wallsend the German dirigible, continuing on its course, passed over the Tyne and attacked the great iron and coal town of Hebburn, completely missing the valuable docks and doing but little damage. Now it evidently gave up its groping for Newcastle and turned its nose towards the coast and passing over South Shields and Tynemouth without attempting any further attack, it ultimately went off again on its long return voyage at 8.47pm"

They dont write `em like that any more.

Eddie

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Source: http://www.bpears.org.uk/Misc/War_NE/w_section_08.html



14/15 Apr 1915 Wed/Thu. 7.30-9.00 p.m.



The Zeppelin L9, on her first mission, made landfall just north of Blyth, and at Cambois she was attacked with rifle fire from the 1st Battalion Northern Cyclists. She dropped bombs at West Sleekburn and then followed a winding course to the south passing over Choppington, Bedlington, Cramlington, Seaton Burn and Forest Hall; 14 bombs were dropped en route, all falling on fields. She then headed for Wallsend harmlessly dropping 9 bombs on the way. 6 IB were dropped at Wallsend, one hitting a cottage and slightly injuring a woman and a girl. 2 more bombs were dropped before L9 turned east and crossed the coast at Marsden. (L9 caught fire in its shed at Fuhlsuttel, Germany 19 Sep 1916).


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Hi,

thanks everyone for your responses.

Steve Y

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From "Flight" dated 23 April 1915:

ELSEWHERE in this issue attention has been given to certain aspects of the German air raids on certain sections of the English coast at the latter end of last week, and for the purpose of record the actual facts are noted below.

The first visit was on the evening of the 15th inst., when a large airship, presumably a Zeppelin, appeared off Blyth about 8 p.m. After dropping half-a-dozen bombs on the outskirts of Blyth it went inland, and sweeping round to the south, dropped bombs at Choppington, Bedlington, Hartford, Cramlington, Seaton Burn and Benton. Going on to Wallsend five bombs were dropped, and then after crossing the Tyne the raider made for the coast and passed out to sea, after being over the land for about 35 minutes, during which some 30 bombs, mostly of an incendiary type, were discharged. The damage done was insignificant, consisting of minor fires at Choppington, Seaton Burn and Wallsend. The only person reported injured was a miner, who happened to be walking near Bedlington, and had his wrist struck by a fragment from a bomb. According to some reports two airships were seen, while others state the bombs were dropped from a cage suspended some distance below the airship. At Blyth, a recruiting campaign happened to be in progress, and the Zeppelin provided the speaker with a timely object-lesson. According to competent spectators the airship at one time was not more than 1,000 ft. high. Several skippers of trawlers reported having seen a Zeppelin at sea, and from these reports it appears that the raider was the naval airship L9.

Graeme

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Sending Zeppelins to Choppington and Bedlington? Bombing West Sleekburn? Why would you? Sounds like a sketch from Blackadder.

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  • 7 months later...
Guest Bedlingtonian

The attached postcard was sent from Bedlington in 1915 and appears to show the raid however I suspect it is a hoax.

post-111498-0-35887800-1402902244_thumb.

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As much as I dislike the idea it looks as if a pencilled drawing of a zeppelin has been placed on a photograph and then reproduced. There is shadowing where the paper would not lie flat.

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Source: http://www.bpears.org.uk/Misc/War_NE/w_section_08.html

14/15 Apr 1915 Wed/Thu. 7.30-9.00 p.m.

The Zeppelin L9, on her first mission, made landfall just north of Blyth, and at Cambois she was attacked with rifle fire from the 1st Battalion Northern Cyclists. She dropped bombs at West Sleekburn and then followed a winding course to the south passing over Choppington, Bedlington, Cramlington, Seaton Burn and Forest Hall; 14 bombs were dropped en route, all falling on fields. She then headed for Wallsend harmlessly dropping 9 bombs on the way. 6 IB were dropped at Wallsend, one hitting a cottage and slightly injuring a woman and a girl. 2 more bombs were dropped before L9 turned east and crossed the coast at Marsden. (L9 caught fire in its shed at Fuhlsuttel, Germany 19 Sep 1916).

I wonder what the report from the Northern Cyclist Bn said? Love to read it. Even in UK they still engaged the enemy with rifle fire. Did the crew even know they were under fire from troops on the ground with all the noise of the engines? Hope someone can find the report or an account of it if there's a unit history. Good Luck.

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From "The War in the Air" Vol 3......

A new ship, the L.9, arrived three days later to replace
the L.8, and this ship made the next attack on England. In
the afternoon of the 14th of April 1915 Kapitanleutnant
Heinrich Mathy was over the North Sea in the L.9, reconnoitring
for British surface craft preliminary to a minelaying
sortie by the German Fleet. 3 He flew within 100
nautical miles of Flamborough Head without sighting any
British warships, and then, as he had ten 50-kg. highexplosive
bombs and forty incendiary bombs on board
and the weather conditions were good, he obtained
permission by wireless to make a raid at his discretion.
The L.9. appeared off the mouth of the Tyne about
7 p.m. and moved northwards before turning to bomb
the Tyneside towns. Over Cambois she was attacked
with rifle fire by the 1st Battalion Northern Cyclists
and then passed on to West Sleekburn, where she
dropped her first bombs. Mathy, his observation impeded
by the scattered lighting below him, was under the impression
that his first bombs were dropped into the South
Shields timber yards. He then set a winding course over
what he thought was Jarrow, Hebburn, Carville, Walker,
and Newcastle, dropping bombs all the way. Actually he
moved from Sleekburn by way of Choppington and Bedlington
to Cramlington, dropping fourteen bombs in open
fields. He then flew towards Wallsend, dropping a further
nine bombs, without doing damage, on the way. Six
incendiaries fell on Wallsend, one hitting a cottage and
slightly injuring a woman and a girl. The remaining bombs,
including two dropped before the L.9 turned out to sea
at Marsden, did no damage. The ineffectiveness of the raid
over the crowded Tyne area was due, in large measure, to
the drastic lighting restrictions. Following this raid, the
First Lord ordered that a 3 -inch gun be taken from
Whale Island and sent to the Tyne. Later, one 13-
pounder, two 3-inch (5-cwt.) guns, and two pom-poms
were added to the Tyne defences by the army.
Mathy (image No1) later lost his life in Oct 1916 when L31 was shot down over Potters Bar,
The impression in the ground from his falling body (image No2) being left after his remains were removed
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post-5284-0-83983000-1402997414_thumb.jp
regards
Tom
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  • 2 years later...
On ‎16‎/‎06‎/‎2014 at 08:04, Bedlingtonian said:

The attached postcard was sent from Bedlington in 1915 and appears to show the raid however I suspect it is a hoax.

Bedlingtonian-3.jpg

I agree this is a hoax photograph.I can see two people in the photo. Bedlington has never been this busy.;)

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Must have been a regular occurrence in Blyth 

Nobody showed the slightest interest when it flew over

blyth 2.JPG

blyth.JPG

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