How was Britain attacked from the air?
Britain was attacked from the sky for the first time, early in 1915.
No one expected air raids, so when German airships first flew over Britain, the country was unprepared.
The bombs were not accurate but they still caused injury and damage.
In times to come, whistles would sound the alarm and people learnt to run for cover in the Underground or at home in cellars.
Watch: A London air raid
Watch and listen to one boy’s account of a London air raid in 1916 during World War One.
NARRATOR: On the night of 2 September 1916, German airships attacked London.
Williams Leefe Robinson, a young lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps, took to the air in his single engine biplane to defend the city.
On the ground a young boy, Patrick Blundstone, watched the night’s events unfold.
Afterwards he wrote a letter to his father describing what happened.
PATRICK BLUNDSTONE: Dear Daddy, I hope you’re not alarmed.
You shouldn’t be, unless you know where one of the Zepps went.
I had heard that it raided London, up The Strand, and caused heavy causalities.
This I know because I saw, and so did everyone else in the house.
Here is my story…
I heard the clock strike 11 o’clock. I was in bed and just going to sleep.
Between 2 o’clock and 2.30 o’clock, we saw flashes and then heard bangs and pops.
Suddenly a bright yellow light appeared and died down again.
“Oh! It’s alright,” said the Poolman. “It’s only a star shell.”
That light appeared again. We rushed to the window and looked out and there right above us was the Zepp!
It had broken in half and was in flames, roaring and crackling.
It went slightly to the right and crashed down into a field.
It was about a hundred yards away from the house and directly opposite us.
It nearly burnt itself out but it was finished by the fire brigade.
I would rather not describe the condition of the crew, of course. They were dead. Burnt to death.
The Zepp was bombed from an aeroplane above with an incendiary bomb, by a Lieutenant Leefe Robinson.
We have some relics, some wire and wood framework.
The weather is beastly. I hope you’re all well.
Your loving son, Patrick.
P.S. Please don’t be alarmed, all is well that ends well, as this did for us. We are all quite safe.
NARRATOR: The burning airship lit up the sky for miles around.
Thousands of people watched as the wreckage plummeted into a field, in the village of Cuffley.
It was the first time a Zeppelin had been shot down in Britain.
The next morning 10,000 people gathered at the crash site to collect a souvenir.
The day became known as Zepp Sunday.
The pilot who shot down the airship became an overnight hero.
Two days later, William Leefe Robinson was awarded the Victory Cross, the highest award for gallantry.
What were Zeppelins?
German airships were called Zeppelins. Large bags filled with hydrogen gas enabled them to float.
The crew controlled the engines from a compartment underneath. They dropped bombs on factories and military bases.
William Leefe Robinson was the first person to shoot down a German airship over the UK in September 1916. His bullets set fire to the hydrogen and the airship crashed.
William received a Victoria Cross, £3,500 prize money and the rank of Captain.
Germany was less interested in using airships once Britain could destroy them.
Gothas and Giants
The Gotha bomber could travel a long way and fly higher than British aircrafts.
Gotha attacks were devastating. On 13 June 1917 a raid on London killed 162 people, including 18 children when a bomb landed on their school.
Later Germany developed an even bigger, more dangerous bomber called The Giant.
The success of German air raids was one of the reasons the Royal Air Force was formed in April 1918. Britain needed better aircraft and more trained pilots.
Watch: Attacks by sea
Watch our video to learn what happened to a small British town when it was attacked by Germany from the sea.
[SNARE DRUMS]
LILY’S GREAT-GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER: At the start of World War One Britain was protected by the largest navy in the world.
There hadn’t been a war in Britain for over 150 years.
So in 1914 my great-great-grandmother Lily felt safe.
This her, she lived by the sea in Hartlepool.
But one morning in December 1914 something terrible happened in Hartlepool.
Afterwards, in school, Lily wrote all about it.
LILY: I was walking to meet my friends when suddenly I saw flashes out at sea and through the fog I saw the shape of ships.
There was a big booming sound, like thunder but louder.
Then there was an explosion.
Now I knew that the ships I had seen were firing at us.
At first I hid behind a wall.
I could see the shells flying through the air, they made a swishing, whizzing sound.
I started to run as fast as I could. I was very frightened.
I found my mum and she was crying when she saw me.
My brother and I thought the Germans were invading.
People on the street started rushing everywhere.
My mum held our hands very tight and we went through the town, trying to get inland, away from the sea.
I thought that the battleships must be able to see us all running.
They hit the gasworks near where my dad was working, I really wanted to see him.
Then the booming and the firing stopped. The ships had sailed away.
When we got back to our street my dad was waiting for us.
Half the front of our house had fallen down. My bed was hanging over the street!
My mum was very quiet and she was upset but I was happy that we had got away.
In the street I saw pieces of broken metal. They were shrapnel, bits of exploded bombs.
The shrapnel was still warm, I put it in my pocket.
Later that week, at school, our teacher told us that the Germans had not wanted to invade.
They wanted to attack places that were important to the British war effort.
The Germans also fired at people in Scarborough and Whitby that day.
Over 100 people had been killed in our three towns.
Soon, like lots of men, my dad decided to join the army. He couldn’t forget what happened.
I didn’t want to forget either so I kept the shrapnel in my pocket.
LILY’S GREAT-GREAT-GRANDAUGHTER: And now I have the shrapnel that my great-great-grandmother picked up, so I will always remember what happened to her on that day too.
How did people protect themselves?
The government tried to warn people when an attack was coming and to keep them safe.
- Streetlights were dimmed so enemy pilots would struggle to see their targets.
- Whistles blew to raise the alarm.
- Searchlights helped gunners to spot airships or planes, and shoot them when they were close.
- Policemen shouted warnings as they cycled round the streets wearing a sign saying "take cover".
In London, thousands gathered on Underground platforms, under bridges and railway arches, or even under the stairs at home.
In the country, people sheltered in sea caves, forests and fields.
When an attack was over, bugles (a type of brass instrument) would be blown to tell everyone it was safe to return to the streets.
Who was affected by air raids?
Image caption, Everyone was shocked when the Germans attacked from the air
Before the war, wealthy people could fly between cities by airship. People in Britain had seen pictures of airships but no one imagined they might be used to drop bombs.
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How did life change?
Until the air raids, the British worried about their loved ones fighting in the war.
Now children, women and older people at home were also in danger.
By the end of the war, almost 1,500 British citizens had been killed in air raids, and over 3,400 had been injured.
Activity 1: Quiz – Air raids during World War One
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