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

Sam Meek

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1

1 memorial

Fredk. W. Osborne

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

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1

1 memorial

H. Hayes

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

Napoleonic wars

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Event, Armed Forces

2 memorials

Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry

Soldier. Born Dublin. 1843 became Colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards which, as part of the Household Cavalry, was based at Knightsbrige Barracks, now Hyde Park Barracks. Which explains why ...

Person, Armed Forces, Ireland

1 memorial

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Greater London Council

Replaced the LCC. The GLC was abolished, some say, because Mrs Thatcher could not abide its left-wing politics, nor its leader, Ken Livingstone. On its 50th anniversary Diamond Geezer posted a goo...

Group, Politics & Administration

241 memorials

London Fire Brigade

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EMI

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Group, Music / songs

2 memorials

Howard Staunton

British World Chess Champion. Promoted the use of standardised chess pieces, the ones still in use today. Saw the international nature of the 1851 Great Exhibition as an opportunity and organised t...

Person, Sport / Games

1 memorial

Mary Tourtel

Author and artist. Born Mary Caldwell. She studied art and became a children's book illustrator. Her husband Herbert Tourtel, was news editor of the Daily Express. In 1920 the newspaper was looking...

Person, Art, Children, Literature

1 memorial