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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Monkey died in air raid


Matt Dixon

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ON 19 OCT 1917 GERMAN ZEPPELINS ATTACKED THE MIDLANDS DURING WHICH A BOMB FELL ON THE AUSTIN MOTOR WORKS, LONGBRIDGE, BIRMINGHAM. ONE MILE AWAY, IN NORTHFIELD, DAME ELIZABETH CADBURY LIVED. SHE OWNED A PET MONKEY CALLED JACKO AND IT DIED OF FRIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE EXPLOSION. IT WAS BURIED WITH DUE CEREMONY IN DAME ELIZABETH'S PET CEMETERY.

Is this true? Does anyone know anything about this supposed incident?

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Someone emailed it to me and asked if I knew anything about it. I don't and I have no idea whether the story is apocryphal or not, I thought I would ask on here!

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Was it not in the shelling of Hartlepool by the German battlecruiser fleet? :unsure::)

cheers Martin B

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I shall have a look at Birmingham Library and see whether I can find anything in there!

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

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The Zep would have to be L41 which officially got blown south (the 11 Zep raid was supposed to be on the north) which bombed the west of Brum thinking it was Manchester! (great target recognition there). However although many histories blame the high winds for the general disorder (none bombed the right target) a significant part was probably played by British and French electronic warfare (not called that in those days) which managed to mess around with the radio signals the Germans were using as navigational aids. As this was highly secret the wind got all the credit (it probably deserved about half). 4 Zepps were lost. (shades of WW2 and the 'bending the beams' exercise in 1940/41).

The story is quite possibly true as there was certainly a Zep bombing that part of Brum that night and the lady certainly existed. Poor old Jacko was the unintended victem of ealry electronic warfare and deception.

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  • 11 years later...

The photo of the headboard does match the story.  The inscription reads:

Jacko, a Monkey

Killed With Fright

Caused by a Zep

That Came Over One Night

1917

 

Presumably the IWM spared no efforts to ensure the headboard was authentic, to include dating of the wood and confirming the account with multiple eyewitnesses and contemporaneous documentary evidence?

 

Then again, perhaps not. :)

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