Zeppelin Letters

This photograph, taken at the Brighton Carnival in 1923, shows a float carrying a model British airship, just a few years after the German Zeppelins terrorised the general public in the First World War.

The photographers and postcard manufacturers were the local Brighton company of Deane, Wiles and Millar, who published a great many Brighton views at the time, the majority of which were "real photo" postcards.

The following brief quotes are from some of the personal letters included in my book Zeppelin Letters, Personal letters from the people of London (available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle). The book has 124 pages, includes over 70 illustrations, 13 contemporary cartoons from Punch magazine, as well as many letters which have been transcribed and scanned. It is printed in full colour. The three main letter writers have been researched and a basic family tree is included for each person.

"I am suffering from an attack of nerves again, I am positively terrified, we had the rotten German Zeppelins over the City and west-end on Wednesday night at 10.45 Sept 8th, 1915. They dropped a lot of bombs, 12 I think in all several big fires were started down the city. I was out at Hyde Park Corner when the first bomb was dropped. I was absolutely paralysed and thought my time had come. Over 150 casualties it passed right over our house."

Maud Norris, 1915

"We had an idea that there would be a raid, as the searchlights had not been at work during the evening, and at 2.20 a.m. we were awakened by the guns and bombs, and on going to the window could plainly see the Zepp. which was then about 12 miles away. We dressed and went out into the street, and watched the shrapnel bursting and the flashes of the guns and bombs, which even at that distance were very bright. After we had been out about a quarter of an hour, during which the Zepp. had disappeared, we saw a red speck in the sky which suddenly flared up and then commenced to fall."

George Vernon Hatch, 1916

"I expect you will have heard about our excitements last night. Another raid and very near this time. Charlie woke me up about 12.30 and we groped about and dressed ourselves in the dark to the accompaniment of loud firing and bomb dropping. Had an awful business waking up the servant – she locks her door, sleeps heavily and is rather deaf. We thought she would never wake and meanwhile the fire was getting fast and furious. (I’ve forbidden her to lock her door since!) Finally we got all three downstairs – there was nothing to be seen, but sometimes we could hear the engines of one, or perhaps two, Zepps distinctly. Then a lull and then suddenly great flashes of light and terrific crashes. We got indoors again to our safety post by the cellar door where the house walls are thickest. Charlie said he was frightened for a minute for the first time in his life. One flash lit up the darkness inside."

Irene Magraw, 1916