Vehicle From 1900

Zeppelin airships

Invented by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1900. London was first targeted with airships in May 1915 and initially found defence very difficult. Searchlights and incendiary ammunition helped to defeat the Zeppelins and the last raid was in August 1918. Londonist has a great post about the Zeppelin raids over London, with a map! And Flickering Lamps has a good post on airships over London in war and peace.

But to get a really good idea of how they were used (the bombs, the water ballast, the observer basket) you have to see the 1930 film Hell's Angels. Forget the plot and the acting, just watch the stunning aerial scenes. Howard Hughes produced it so money was no object.

2018: Londonist have a post about the first Zeppelin raid on London, 31 May 1915, with maps showing the damage sites.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Zeppelin airships

Commemorated ati

Camberwell WW1 victims - Chumleigh Gardens

This memorial commemorates all 22 Camberwell citizens killed in WW1. We don't...

First Zeppelin bomb of WW1, correct - 1

First bomb of World War One, dropped on London by Zeppelin LZ 38 fell on this...

First Zeppelin bomb of WW1, correct - 2

First bomb of World War One, to be dropped on London by Zeppelin LZ38, fell o...

First Zeppelin bomb of WW1 - incorrect

This plaque was, according to the Council, a mistake and was removed by Hackney.

Zeppelin

We are familiar with the "pensioner crosses road" syndrome in local newspaper...

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Other Subjects

A. J. Hill

Resident of the West Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1

1 memorial

L. H. G. Eveleigh

Resident of the West Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1

1 memorial

L. Sidnell

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1

1 memorial

Spitalfields engine-house

'Engine-house' was an early term for what we would now call a fire station. The engine was initially merely a hand-operated pump. This and some ladders might be housed in the local church, but as t...

Building, Armed Forces

3 memorials

W. A. Starr

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1

1 memorial

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Edith Nightingale

Associated with the Wesleyan Schools, Leswin Road, 1883. Because her first name is given rather than just an initial it's possible that Edith was a child in 1883, in which case perhaps she was a pu...

Person, Education

1 memorial

Silver Jubilee Walkway Trust / Walk21

The Silver Jubilee Walkway Trust was established in 1977. They became the Jubilee Walkway Trust around 2002 to stay relevant to further Jubilees. After the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 the Trust was wo...

Group, Tourism / Traditions

2 memorials

Christabel Pankhurst

Suffragette. Born Manchester, daughter of Emmeline, her eldest child and her favourite. Moved to America in 1939 and died in California.

Person, Gender Issues, Politics & Administration, USA

6 memorials

Royal Socity of Chemistry

Formed as a merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry. It carries out research, publishes journals, books and da...

Group, Science

6 memorials

Queen Elizabeth II

Born 17 Bruton Street, to the Duke and Duchess of York. For information on where she was brought up see Byron Statue. When she was 10 her father became King George VI (on the abdication of his brot...

Person, Royalty, Seriously Famous

124 memorials