Zeppelin Raids on Nottinghamshire

[John Beech]

Hi all

I have been researching the Zeppelin raids on Nottinghamshire during the war and have a couple of queries relating to casualties of these raids. On 31st January 1916 L-20, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Stabbert, raided the Bennerley viaduct near Awsworth on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. Following this raid, he moved over Ilkeston and dropped bombs on the Stanton Iron Works. Two men were killed and I am trying to find their names and where they are buried. Secondly, on 24th September 1916, L-17 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Kraushaar, attacked Nottingham. There were three fatalities, Alfred Taylor and Rosanna Rogers and Harold Renshaw. Does anyone know where they are buried?

Thank you in anticipation

John

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Hi all

I have been researching the Zeppelin raids on Nottinghamshire during the war and have a couple of queries relating to casualties of these raids.

John

John,

Here are some reports from the Nottingham Evening Post :-

" In the interests of national security, the Evening Post was not allowed to report on Nottingham's only Zeppelin attack until January 1919 – more than two years after the event.

Once the dust of the First World War had begun to settle, the full horror of the raid was set before the public: In a brief but destructive 15 minute raid, three people were killed, eight injured and buildings from Mansfield Road to the Meadows were destroyed.

And wWhen that toll was properly assessed, tThe finger of blame was pointed directly at the Midland Railway Company ... because it had refused to turn out its lights when the air raid warning was sounded.

An inquest jury ruled that the three victims "had been murdered by person or persons unknown, through the explosion of bombs dropped from an airship".

But the jury added a rider: "The town was exposed to the risk of attack by airships entirely by the action of the raéilway companies."

It was just after 1am on Sunday September 25, 1916, that the unmistakable deep-throated drone of a Zeppelin was heard approaching the city. The siren sent the city into near-panic and lights were immediately extinguished.

But for some reason, the railway companies didn't follow suit. The single Zeppelin made a beeline for them, dropping a clutch of bombs in a line from Eastcroft through the Meadows to Nottingham Midland Station, along Carrington Street, Greyfriar Gate, Wheeler Gate, Lister Gate and on to Victoria Station where windows were shattered.

Canaan Street Primitive Methodist Church was set on fire by an incendiary bomb and business premises, including Haddon's factory in Carrington Street and a warehouse at the corner of Lister Gate were wrecked.

But the real tragedy began in Broad Marsh. Labourer Harold Renshaw was in bed with his wife when a bomb crashed through their ceiling, setting fire to his clothing. Mr Renshaw was so badly burned, he died soon afterwards in hospital. His wife, lying beside him, was uninjured.

In Newthorpe Street, Alfred Taylor Rogers, a 44-year-old tailor's cutter, and his wife Rosanna were also in bed when a stick of bombs fell on their house and surrounding buildings.

Mr Rogers was killed where he lay, his wife's body was found in the street, having been thrown several yards by the blast.

Another eight people were dug out of the wreckage of three homes.

There were other incidents, but nothing as tragic.

In Carrington Street a wringer was blown through the wall of a house, just one of many heavy objects sent flying through the air.

It wasn't the first time a Zeppelin had been in the area. Earlier in 1916 there had been a raid on the Stanton Ironworks, the force of explosions shattering windows as far away as Lenton. "

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

John,

The damage caused by the Zeppelin bombs to Greyfriar Gate.

LF

[John Beech]

LF

Many thanks for taking the time to reply to my request for information. The information you have sent is most useful. The written report I have seen before, as it appeared as an item in our local press about five or six years ago. I have prepared a piece for an exhibition being set up at Nottingham Castle later this year entitled Trent to the Trenches, which outlines the role taken by Nottingham during the war. My piece outlines the raid of 24th Sept 1916 and includes information on other raids and incursions into the county and information on L-17 and its commander, Kapitanleutnant Hermann Kraushaar, who was later killed on 14th June 1917, when Zeppelin L-43 was shot down by a Curtiss H12 flying boat, serial number 8677, flown by Flight Lieutenant Basil Deacon Hobbs and Flight Sub-Lieutenant Robert Frederick Lea Dickey. Interestingly, the majority of the crew had previously served on L-17 and transferred to L-43 with Kraushaar. Kraushaar's body washed up on the north German coast and he is buried at Hage near Norden.

The photo was particularly interesting as I have not seen it before. I have photos for other areas of the city after the raid, such as the junction of Castle Gate and Lister Gate and for Newthorpe Street, where two of the three fatalities and the majority of the injured lived, but have not seen a picture for Greyfriar Gate before. Can I ask where you obtained it, as I would like to pass it on to the people organising the exhibition, but don't want to run into copyright issues.

Regards

John

[Lancashire Fusilier]

L-17 and its commander, Kapitanleutnant Hermann Kraushaar, who was later killed on 14th June 1917

John,

Here is a photograph of Kapitanleutnant Hermann Kraushaar.

Regards,

LF

[John Beech]

Many thanks Lancashire Fusilier

I got this one from the Zeppelin Museum at Tonder

Regards

John

[MikB]

Reading this thread reminded me that the aunt of a friend of mine in the early 1970s told me that as a child she'd seen a Zeppelin over Daybrook in WW1, and that it had 'got afire' - though I can't remember whether she said she saw that or not.

Were any Zeppelins hit over Nottinghamshire? If not I wonder whether the story's a garbled version of L-17 and the later fate of its crew in L-43?

Regards,

MikB

[John Beech]

MikB

Thanks for your response. I have traced three raids on Nottinghamshire during the war. On 31st January 1916, during the Great Midlands Raid, L-20 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Franz Stabbert, bombed Bennerley Viaduct near Awsworth before flying over Ilkeston and bombing Stanton Ironworks killing two. He had already bombed Loughborough and bombed Burton on Trent before heading back to the coast. L-11, L-13 and L-14 all passed over the county the same night, but did not drop any bombs, although L-14 under the command of Kapitanleutnant der Reserve Alois Böcker, bombed Derby but reported he bombed Nottingham!. L-13 briefly passed over the county near Newark on 29th July before returning back over Lincolnshire without dropping any bombs. On 3rd September 1916, L-13 under Kapitanleutnant der Reserve Eduard Prolss, bombed Retford with no fatalities but four injured, and L-17, under the command of Kapitanleutnant Hermann Kraushaar, bombed Nottingham on 24th September 1916 with three fatalities and seventeen injured. The L-17 dropped its last bomb over Mapperley and then headed towards Lincoln, but its possible that this was the airship over Daybrook. The last incursion into the county was on 27th November 1916 when L-21, under the command of Oberleutnant zur Zee Kurt Frankenberg, passed over the county on his way back from a raid on the north west. He was shot down off the Norfolk coast. No Zeppelin incurred any damage on any of these raids and to my knowledge no further incursions took place. None of the airship commanders survived the war, being killed on later flights.

Regards

John

[davidA]

I have read somewhere that bombs were dropped on Mapperley brickworks during WW1. Unfortunately I cannot find the source.

[John Beech]

davidA

Unfortunately, I don't have the book to hand which mentioned that L-17's last bomb landed on Mapperley. From memory it was a volume of the history of the air war. Can find out if necessary. All it said was that the last bomb hit Mapperley. Looking at your badge, I assume you are a Nottingham man, like myself. I have it that Kapitanleutnant Kraushaar came over the city over Colwick, he had followed the Trent Valley, his first bomb hit Netherfield, he then flew over Sneinton and his second bomb took out the AAA guns telephone line. Kapitanleutnant Kraushaar thought he was over Sheffield and was bombing factories, and I think that after his second bomb, he lined up on the three train stations, which were all lit up as the blackout did not apply to the railways, and which he misidentified as factories. What he thought were blast furnaces were actually train engine fire boxes and smoke stacks. He started his bombing run at the low level station on London Road, heading towards the Midland Station then turning right he bombed through Broad Marsh and Greyfriars Gate, then up through the city centre bombing Lister Gate, Castle Gate and ending up at Victoria Station. It should be noted that all three stations were hit. Kapitanleutnant Kraushaar made only one pass over the city, and I think he then passed over Mapperley as he headed out of the county dropping his last bomb at Mapperley (possibly on the brickworks). Within about fifteen minutes of his raid he was north of Lincoln so if he was travelling NE he could have passed Mapperley on his way.

Thanks for the info, I will look into it further

Regards

John

[Airshipped]

I think the Mapperley bombing took place in the September 1916 raids, e.g. see Vol. III of 'War in the Air':

[davidA]

Thanks chaps. This is very interesting. I live about a quarter of a mile from where the brickworks were.

[John Beech]

davidA

You may already be aware that there will be a major exhibition at Nottingham Castle later this year highlighting Nottingham's involvement in the war, called Trent to the Trenches. There are various groups involved in research etc. There is also a website www.trent-to-trenches.co.uk which you might find interesting. I have prepared an article on the Zeppelin Raid for this and have also included the other raids on Nottinghamshire at Awsworth and Retford. If you are interested, I will let you have a sneak peak! I am currently preparing a piece on the escape by German Officers from Sutton Bonnington POW Camp on 24th September 1917. There is a thread on this elsewhere on the GWF. I have been trying to get biographical information on the escapees, but so far have only identified four of the twenty three who escaped. I should add that they were all recaptured within a week!

Airshipped - Thanks for confirming the source of the information regarding a bomb falling on Mapperley. it was indeed the 24th September 1916 raid by l-17 that this refers to.

Regards

John

[Aspern]

Regarding the bomb on Mapperley, John, you are correct when you say you believe it was dropped after the raid on the city. In the official reports contained in the National Archives it gives the following details, but does not mention a brickworks.

"Leaving Nottingham about 12.49, the airship passed over Mapperley, dropping there an H.E. bomb which seriously damagaed a house, and then went off on her return journey." In summery it concludes that the bomb caused no injuries but adds, "One house seriously damaged. Much glass broken."

There are two air raid report forms filled in by the police. Regarding the Mapperley bomb one (completed on 26th September) states, "One house seriously damaged. Glass in 93 others."

The other report, dated 24th September, says, "One dwelling house seriously damaged. Glass broken in 93 dwelling houses."

I hope that it is some interest.

[John Beech]

Aspern

Many thanks for taking the time to send in this information. I will arrange to get this added to the piece I have written.

Regards

John

[Bill Tomlinson]

Hi

I am late in joining this thread, but none the less, whilst doing some research some years ago, I found a personnel account of the Zeppelin attack on Retford which is in the reference section and therefore not widely seen. As far as I remember it was written by K.D.Hanna who went on to be Town Clerk.

He was awakened by a bright light, search light? shining through the window of his room at Crown House Bridgegate, the aircraft machine gunned house,s and gardens along the river side, then went on to attack the Gas Works.

[John Beech]

Bill

Many thanks for this. I will investigate this source further

Regards

John

[Aspern]

Hi

I am late in joining this thread, but none the less, whilst doing some research some years ago, I found a personnel account of the Zeppelin attack on Retford which is in the reference section and therefore not widely seen. As far as I remember it was written by K.D.Hanna who went on to be Town Clerk.

He was awakened by a bright light, search light? shining through the window of his room at Crown House Bridgegate, the aircraft machine gunned house,s and gardens along the river side, then went on to attack the Gas Works.

Hi Bill

You mention this account is in the reference section. Can you tell me the reference section of what - I'm interested!

Many thanks

Ian

[HAP]

I hope that it is some interest.

Regarding the bomb on Mapperley, John, you are correct when you say you believe it was dropped after the raid on the city. In the official reports contained in the National Archives it gives the following details, but does not mention a brickworks.

"Leaving Nottingham about 12.49, the airship passed over Mapperley, dropping there an H.E. bomb which seriously damagaed a house, and then went off on her return journey." In summery it concludes that the bomb caused no injuries but adds, "One house seriously damaged. Much glass broken."

There are two air raid report forms filled in by the police. Regarding the Mapperley bomb one (completed on 26th September) states, "One house seriously damaged. Glass in 93 others."

The other report, dated 24th September, says, "One dwelling house seriously damaged. Glass broken in 93 dwelling houses."

I hope that it is some interest.

I can add to this. My Grandmother and father who was 2 at the time were staying at a house in Mapperley with a friend or relative. I have the details somewhere but not to hand at the moment other than it was close to Porcherster Road (Kent Road?). My Grandfather was away in France with the South Staffs. They were sleeping in the upper front bedroom when a bomb caused extensive damage to the frontage. They both escaped unharmed. The house was inhabitable and they were rehoused in Radford where she lived the rest of her life. I have a photo of my grandmother and father outside the house prior to the bombing. I have been to the house which was subsequently repaired and spoke to the occupant but this was a long time ago.

I have a feeling that I have seen a photograph of the bomb damage but am not certain.

[dkightley]

I can add to this. My Grandmother and father who was 2 at the time were staying at a house in Mapperley with a friend or relative. I have the details somewhere but not to hand at the moment other than it was close to Porcherster Road (Kent Road?). My Grandfather was away in France with the South Staffs. They were sleeping in the upper front bedroom when a bomb caused extensive damage to the frontage. They both escaped unharmed. The house was inhabitable and they were rehoused in Radford where she lived the rest of her life. I have a photo of my grandmother and father outside the house prior to the bombing. I have been to the house which was subsequently repaired and spoke to the occupant but this was a long time ago.

I have a feeling that I have seen a photograph of the bomb damage but am not certain.

Having just subscribed to this forum just so I can post on this thread, I find this last post of great interest.

I have grown up with the unconfirmed story that the house I was born in (off Porchester Road) in Mapperley was bombed by a Zeppelin during WW1. Not wanting to pre-empt any incorrect facts, I'd prefer not to state the exact location at the moment. I'd hate to be responsible for the current owners having someone knock on their door and ask "Did you know your house was bombed in WW1?".

I'd certainly be interested in seeing the photo so I can either confirm or quash the story I was told years ago.

Doug Kightley

[HAP]

Rather than quote I'll just reply Doug. The house in question was on one of the roads that runs off Porchester Road and is quite a steep hill. By coincidence the mother of a friend lived in a house next door. I have been to the house and compared the photo I have with grandmother and dad out side with how it is now ( or was as this was some 30 or so years ago) I have it in mind the house was called Albert Villas but this could be wrong. I'll dig out the photo and details in the next day or so. Does this compare with what you are thinking re where you lived.

[HAP]

I found the photo. In the original you can read the stone carved block above the doors 'Albert Villas 1905'

There is a note on the back of the photo in my fathers hand 'with mother and grandmother Wilson at Hickling Road Mapperley. This house was bombed in September 1916.

[dkightley]

This is slightly disappointing....but extremely interesting.

This house is indeed on Hickling Road....but is not the house I lived in. Its 25 yards up the road from where I lived.....but I used to play with a boy who lived there, and I spent many hours playing in and around the house.

So the house I lived in was not "hit" by the bomb...but was damaged by it!

I might have interesting information about this house...but I need to confirm some things before detailing here.

[John Beech]

Gents

Thanks for the additional information on the bomb landing in Mapperley. The source I quoted only mentioned that Kapitanleutnant Kraushaar's last bomb hit Mapperley, so you have improved my knowledge on this part of the raid. Assuming the house on Hickling Road was the one described by Aspern as being seriously damaged, and David supports this, its possible more than one bomb was dropped, assuming one also hit Mapperley Brickworks which were on Woodborough Road. The houses are fairly close together around Hickling Road, so you can imagine how one bomb could blow out the windows on so many neighbouring properties, but I wouldn't have thought the blast radius would stretch as far as Woodborough Road.

Regards

John

[dkightley]

Looking at the story of this final bomb is developing,I have to admit that I can't believe that 93 houses sustained glass damage.

From memory, I've been unable to decide how big an area would need to be affected by an air blast to encompass 93 houses in 1916. Having looked up the housing density on a 1918-1921 map, to get 93 houses we'd be looking at an area stretching from the hospital on Pochester Road to the west, almost to Mapperley top to the north, half way to Westdale Lane to the east, and past Kenrick Road to the south. I'm no expert, but I'm sure a blast affecting that sort of area would require a lot of explosives....and leave a large crater. I'd put a guess of the number of houses within 100 yards to be around 10.

Assuming the source has been correctly quoted, I just wonder if transcription of the police reports may have erroneously turned "03" into "93", as I would ponder that the pair of semis called Albert Villa would have been seriously damaged, the house to the left in the photo definite glass loss, a house 20 yards to the right probable glass loss, and either my old house (approx. 40 yards away) or a house approx. 40 yards to the left of the house being the third. There were no houses on the opposite side of the road in the immediate vicinity....my old home being the only one!

Of course my somewhat forensic analysis is purely subjective...but it may be more believable that what has been reported.