Yorts Posted 6 January , 2004 Share Posted 6 January , 2004 Hi, Can anyone tell me anything about the Zeppelin raid on Hertford, Hertfordshire, on Wednesday 13th October 1915. In particular I would like to know details about Ernest Thomas Jolly, a civilian, who was killed in the raid. Rgds, Alex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rivnut Posted 6 January , 2004 Share Posted 6 January , 2004 Hi, As you may have already read, the raid on that night was carried out by Mathy & co. It involved 5 ships. Bad navigation had them all over the place. Only one made it over London. Quite often, when the commanders found they couldn't properly complete their missions, they would drop their bombs on the countryside and head for home. Hopefully, someone will be able to help you with the particulars of the incident on the ground. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 6 January , 2004 Share Posted 6 January , 2004 The details of this raid are too long and complex to post here but a good summary is available in "The Air Defence of Britain 1914-1918" by Cole & Cheeseman (Putnam). The airship that went astray and bombed Hertford at 22.00 hrs was L.16 captained by Peterson. He mistook the River Lea for the River Thames. He reported that he had bombed industrial and railway targets in east London! Racing Teapots should be able to elaborate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 6 January , 2004 Share Posted 6 January , 2004 Five Imperial Navy Zeppelins were involved in the raid: L11 (Oberleutnant zur See H von Buttlar); L13 (Kapitanleutnant H Mathy); L14 (Kapitanleutnant A Böcker); L15 (Kapitanleutnant J Breithaupt); and L16 (Oberleutnant-zur-See W Peterson). It was Peterson, in the then new L16, who bombed Hertford at 2200 that evening, after mistaking the River Lea for the Thames. He thought that he was attacking East London when he dropped 48 incendiary and explosive bombs. The bombs from L16 killed 9 people and injured 15. Ten buildings were destroyed and 141 suffered minor damage. In all, 71 people were killed on the ground during the raid, with another 128 injured. The RFC flew six defensive sorties against the raid – three from Joyce Green, two from Hainault Farm and one Suttons Farm, but there were no attacks on the airships. Dolphin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 6 January , 2004 Share Posted 6 January , 2004 The first bombs from the L16 dropped on the Folly - this is a little island, surrounded by water from the Lee Navigation (canal), in the centre of Hertford. In the local pub (The Old Barge), are one or two photos of the damaged caused here. The folly can only be reached by way of a road and foot bridge which leads to Bull Plain. Here, more bombs fell and exploded by, what was then, the Conservative Club – a 16th century building called Lombard House (today, Hertford Club). Four men were stood at the gates of Lombard House, watching the raid, when they were killed by one of the bombs; one casualty here was James Gregory, the county surveyor. Further explosions severely damaged houses at 25, 27, and 29 Bull Plain (West end of the street). Bull Plain takes its name from the Old Bull Pub, now Hertford Cameras. In the north of the present town of Hertford is the district called Old Cross (formerly the old town centre). Incendiaries damaged three houses, where some of the injured were badly burned. Houses were also damaged at nearby North Road where Acting Bombadier, Arthur John Cox, 1626, 2nd/1st Norfolk Bty. East Anglian Bde., Royal Field Artillery aged 21, was killed. Cox’s next of kin buried him in his home at Great Yarmouth (Caister) Cemetery, Norfolk. A high explosive bomb fell immediately outside the gates of Hertford County hospital. Two workmen, standing in Garrats Mill Yard, across the road from the hospital were killed. The blast smashed most of the windows in the hospital; the noise was so loud that a woman in a street nearly half a mile away, died from shock (I don’t know her name, sadly). A baby boy was also killed by shrapnel from the bomb blasts; the attack lasted just less than two minutes.... The civilians killed were: George Cartledge George Stephen Game James L Gregory Arthur Hart John Henry Jevons Ernest Thomas Jolly Charles Spicer Charles Waller All of the above are recorded on the Hertford War memorial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorts Posted 7 January , 2004 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2004 Thankyou all for your help on this - if anyone else has anything to add please do so. Ironically I drink the Barge on a regular basis (last there at New Years) but have never noticed the pictures on bomb damage on the wall. Interesting to note what is there in front of you but you never see - wood for the trees! Mr Jolly is not listed by the CWGC - would anyone who has access to the full census for 1901 be kind enough to look him up? Rgds, Alex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxi Posted 19 October , 2010 Share Posted 19 October , 2010 Does anyone have any photos of the aftermath of the air raid on Hertford on 13th Octoder 1915? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now