Tom Morgan Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Can anyone help confirm a family story by giving me any details of a Zeppelin raid in which bombs are said to have been dropped on Southend-on-Sea, Essex? I'd be really interested in getting the date of the raid and details of the airship(s) involved, but any info would be gratefully received. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Tom, Which raid??, there were a few, the most notable ones were made by LZ38 commanded by Hauptmann Erich Linarz on 10/11 May 1915 and 26/27 May 1915 when the Zeppelins were trying to find their way to London. I have a lot of details on these raids, one of the bombs on the 10/11 May raid landed in my neighbours back garden. The raid of 10/11 May was also notable as the local paper (Southend Standard) really upset the government by publishing an Air Raid Supplement which shows all the damage and names the killed and injuries caused. At this time the Zeppelin commanders knew nothing of the damage they were causing and after the paper published this supplement the government I believe banned all reporting on them. Let me know what raid you are interested in and I will give you the information I have collected over the years. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Noble Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Hi Tom. Just a couple of photos to add to Andys reply; First, shows a wrecked house in West Street, no precise date given on photo just May 1915. Second, LZ38 about to ascend from her base. Source for both is 'I Was There'. Regards, Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Noble Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 and, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Hi Chris, The first photograph is on the corner of West Road (misprint in "I Was There" as Street) and Westborough Road, no-one was injured in the house shown. Raid of 10/11th May. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBettsMCDCM Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Southend Zeppelin Raid Click Here! A quick advanced "Google" for "Zeppelin Raid" & "Southend" brings forth many references to this & other raids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 The same house from the front taken from an original of the Southend Standard Air Raid Supplement, excuse the darkness of the scan, very old newspaper. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 The first bomb of the 10/11 May raid just missed the Royal Edward which was moored off Southend Pier, and was being used as an Internee ship for German nationals, later to be sunk with large loss of live as a troopship on the way to Gallipoli. There were two other ships moored off Southend at this time, the Ivernia and the Saxonia both being used as POW ships. LZ38 then dropped several other bombs on Southend (2 between the Royal Edward and the shore and 4 on the town) itself before making off up the Thames but was turned back when A.A. guns at Cliff and Thames Haven opened up. She headed back over Southend and proceeded to drop the rest of her bombs on Southend causing considerable damage. In the following days there were very large riots in Southend with great anti - German feeling and against the government for the lack of air raid precautions. Local troops and Territorials stationed there were turned out against the rioting populace. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_harvey Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Have you tried Southend Library, they have all the old southend standard newspapers on microfilm. I think the museum next door may also have some info but i haven't been to it for a while. I'll have a look at home and see if i have got any info in my books. Kind Regards James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Hi James, Southend Library does indeed have microfilm of the Southend Standard which I frequently use, but it is not of a particularly good standard. The originals were also there until recently when the library in its infinite wisdom decided to have a clear out as it needed more space (local council closing a few of the smaller libraries to cut costs, bloody councils) and gave all the Southend Standards away to someone without even taking a note of that persons address or contact numbers. I do not think I have been quite so angry for a long time when they informed me of that, boy was I mad, all that local information gone. The Southend Museum is fine in certain aspects, but, from experience I can state that they are not the most knowledgeable with regard to this aspect of Southend's History. They do have some wonderful period photographs of the time but a lot of space and time is taken up with the Natural History of the area. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Tom, If this is the raid you are thinking off here are the GHQ and Air Defence reports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 GHQ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Air Defence 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Air Defence 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Noble Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Great info that Andy, thanks for sharing it with the forum regards, Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Hi Chris, Thanks, being local with a great interest in WW1 I have spent a number of years compiling information on the raids on Southend, Zeppelin and Gotha. It is amazing just what you can turn up being in the area. Depending on what Tom's interest is in these raids, I have a lot more information for him. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 The Times of Thursday May 13th 1915 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 20 October , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 October , 2005 I'm afraid I don't have a specific raid in mind and didn't realise that there was more than one. I'm just trying to fill out an elderly lady's story that she remembered a raid "one day when two or three bombs were dropped in a street near my house." It's a pity that the record she left behind didn't mention any street names. Thanks to all for the excellent information you've given me. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Tom, Thats a real shame that she did not leave any record of street names as with that information we could pin down what raid it was as I have a list of street names where the bombs actuall fell and at what time they fell with a fair few local accounts. Would it be possible to check her address with census returns etc??? or with Kelly's Directory?? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 20 October , 2005 Author Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Andy - I've asked the lady's grandson if he knows the name of the street and I'll post the information here if I get it. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 British Pathe site - http://www.britishpathe.com/index.html Put- ZEPPELIN VISITS SOUTHEND in SEARCH. Kath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 Hi Kath, Thanks for the link, the first three pictures are of the house gutted in West Road. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 20 October , 2005 Share Posted 20 October , 2005 http://www.movinghistory.ac.uk/archives/ea/collection.html "The archive also holds a BBC documentary on the zeppelin attacks over the East Coast during the war." Kath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 21 April , 2007 Share Posted 21 April , 2007 Old old thread but have just unearthed this picture of the Zeppelin raid of 10/11th May 1915 from a local source. The Earliest Photograph Taken on the Eventful Day This photograph was that secured by Mr. A.G. Clarke of the Graphic Photographic Staff who was on the scene within seven minutes of the first explosion, and before the bomb fell which embedded itself in the roadway near the Tecnical School. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jainvince Posted 18 August , 2012 Share Posted 18 August , 2012 Just found this post. One of our local soldiers who was Rifleman R/6694 Willie White, 7th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps who was killed on 8th December 1915. The report in the local paper, the Rochdale Observer reports that "He was stationed at Southend when the German Zeppelins raided the place". I don't have any more details of where he was stationed whilst in Southend, any local knowledge? Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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