Help identifying an S.S. Zero from Mullion

[Andrew Smith]

G'day,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me which SS Zero was shot down by friendly fire in September 1918. Lionel Hooke was in command and called a mine sweeper to destroy a German mine. In the process a shell from the sweeper passed through the airships envelope resulting in the airship crashing into the sea.

Thanks,

Andrew.

[Adrian Roberts]

Andrew

I have had a quick look through Ces Mowthorpe's "Battlebags- British Airships of WW1". No exact match to your details. The entry for SSZ.27 says that on 12th April 1918, SSZ27 sighted a mine near a trawler. The trawler fired at the mine but ricochets punctured the airship's envelope and it collapsed into the sea. The trawler salvaged the airship, which returned to service until the end of the war.

These details sound too similar to be a coincidence, but if you are positive about the date being September, the only match I can find is SSZ49, lost at sea 2/9/18 - no details given.

Both these craft were based at Mullion

Adrian

Edited 3 December , 2005 by Adrian Roberts

[Dolphin]

Andrew

Battlebags lists SSZ.51 (based at Anglesey) as being lost at sea on 15 September 1918, with the crew saved by the USS Downs. No cause for the loss is given.

As Adrian says, the SSZ.27 story sounds very like the one you're researching.

Regards

Gareth

[Andrew Smith]

Thanks Gareth and Adrian,

I obtained the information from a transcript that Sir Lionel made in 1974. Perhaps his memory was a little hazey but he said it was in September so anything may be possible.

Regards,

Andrew

[Adrian Roberts]

Andrew

Do you know how he got the extra three letters to his name? He doesn't appear on www.rafweb.org so I presume he didn't rise to high rank in the RAF.

Adrian

[Andrew Smith]

Andrew

Do you know how he got the extra three letters to his name? He doesn't appear on www.rafweb.org so I presume he didn't rise to high rank in the RAF.

Adrian

G'day Adrian

Here is a brief bio on Sir Lionel;

Lionel George Alfred HOOKE

DOB: December 31st, 1895

Place: Brighton, VIC

Place: Sydney, NSW

DOD: February 17th, 1974

On leaving school he joined the Marconi Company which was purchased later by AWA. 1914 saw Hooke enlisted as the wireless operator for the Shackleton Expedition. Upon his return he joined the New Zealand arm of the RNVR. After a stint on tugs and submarine chasers he asked for a transfer to the RNAS and because of his navigational and submarine chasing experience he was assigned to airships.

It was at Mullion in 1918 he was shot down by friendly fire and spent the rest of the war in hospital suffering from pneumonia.

He was placed on the unemployed list in May 1919, so he was not a career officer in the RAF.

After the war he resumed his job at AWA (Amalgamated Wireless Australasia). In 1925 he was appointed General Manager and in 1945 he was appointed Managing Director. 1957 saw him knighted for services to the Australian radio industry and in 1962 he was appointed chairman of AWA. It was a position he held until his death on February 17th, 1974.

Hooke is one of several Aussies that ended up commanding airships in the RNAS.

Regards,

Andrew

[Adrian Roberts]

Andrew

Thanks for that - obviously Shackleton noted his qualities as a Wireless op and as a man at an early age.

Adrian

[Andrew Smith]

Andrew

Thanks for that - obviously Shackleton noted his qualities as a Wireless op and as a man at an early age.

Adrian

G'day Adrian,

According to Sir Lionels transcript it was AWA who put him forward to accompany Shackleton. He ws either a highly valued employee or his boss was worried that one day Sir Lionel would have his job

Andrew.