Zeppelin raid 15.8.1915

[Keith Kendall]

According to a handed down family story my Gt Grandfather who died on 15.8.1915 had a fatal heart attack as a result of a Zeppelin bomb exploding close by as he cycled home.

This would have been in Enfield Middlesex.

I have done various searches but to date have drawn a blank on finding any more info about a raid at that time in that area.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

Keith

[cockney tone]

keith,

not an expert in this field but had a look in a small booklet I have on 'Enfield at War 1914-1918' published in 1982 by the Enfield Archaeological Society. The only info it has may not be off use but here it is;

It claims that the first bombs of the war to drop on Enfield were actually on the night of 2nd/3rd September 1916. However it mentions that the anti-aircraft guns in Enfield fired at a raider on the night of October 1915.

There is also mention of "some excitment was caused in 1915 when an army monoplane made a forced landing in a field off slades hill, Enfield" but gives no exact date.

Not really much help with your August 1915 date I am afraid. The publication seems to take a lot of its information from the local papers, i am sure if you could research these any incidents at that time would be well reported in them (censorship permitting I suppose)

Good luck with your research,

Regards,

Scottie.

[cockney tone]

Keith,

a bit more info;

a chart in the back of the book 'The Airship' by Basil Collier shows an 'unsuccessful' raid on London on Aug 12-13 but shows 30 people killed/injured in East Anglia and Essex.

It then shows the next raid on London 17-18th August 58 people killed or injured.

cheers,

Scottie.

[Dolphin]

Keith

The German Navy attempted to raid London with airships L9, L10, L11 and L13 on 12/13 August 1915. L9, L10 and L13 had to turn back, while L11 dropped bombs in the Harwich area.

The next raid was on 17/18 August, when L10, L11, L13 and L14 attempted to bomb London. L13 and L14 returned early. L10 bombed the Walthamstow-Leyton-Wanstead area, while L11 bombed Ashford and nearby villages.

I hope this is useful.

Gareth

Edited 2 December , 2005 by Dolphin

[Keith Kendall]

According to a handed down family story my Gt Grandfather who died on 15.8.1915 had a fatal heart attack as a result of a Zeppelin bomb exploding close by as he cycled home.

This would have been in Enfield Middlesex.

I have done various searches but to date have drawn a blank on finding any more info about a raid at that time in that area.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

Keith

A number of you kindly replied to this post with information that would have been helpful if the original information I had posted had been correct. I have since been checking the information that I had been given and find that the date was 2 years out. The year was in fact 1917

Would you please be so kind as to re check your sources to see if the CORRECT date throws up anything useful.

Many Thanks

Keith

[Dolphin]

Keith

According to the authoritative The Air Defence of Britain 1914-1918 there wasn't a German raid on 15 August 1917. There was a daylight raid on Southend by 11 German Army Gotha bombers on 12 August, when 33 people were killed and 46 injured.

The next raid was a night Naval airship attack on the Hull area on 21/22 August, when 1 person was injured. 10 Gothas attacked Margate, Ramsgate and Dover on 22 August, when 12 were killed and 27 injured.

If you need more information on the above raids, don't hesitate to ask.

Gareth