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1st World War - Zeppelin Raid


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My Great Grandma, Elizabeth Bellamy nee Pigott was killed during the raid by Zeppellin L22 on 26 Sep 1916. She was living at 43 Writtle Street (off Petre Street) and was protecting my mum who was 11 months old and in a cot at the same house.

Does anyone else have relatives killed or injured during that raid ?

A Memorial was put up on Effingham Rd. (by the chairman of Baltic Steel Co which was hit in Zeppellin raid on night of 26 Sept 1916 when 36 bombs were dropped between Burngreave Cemetery and Darnall) states :

"Lest we Forget"

On September 26th 1916

Nine Men

Ten Women

and Ten Children

Were Killed by a German

Air Raid on Sheffield

One of the bombs fell

close to this spot

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John - here's a bit from a history of Pitsmoor booklet. I like the line about how fortunate that the railway line was missed!

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Hi John

I found this in the Local Studies library a while ago. It's from someone's personal notebook of reminiscences of a Zeppelin raid. It sounds like the same raid.

"From Matilda Street the Zeppelin sounded like a traction engine coming from Darnall. The sound seemed to go by Woodseats, Ecclesall and Crookes. And shortly I saw flashes of blue light and heard sharp, very loud reports. Over the Midland Station it appeared to be. But the first bomb dropped on the corner of Burngreave cemetery. Most damage and loss of life was done on Petre Street where most was killed. Houses were wiped out and windows and rooms wrecked in the vicinity. A chapel in Princess Street was demolished. There were [AA] batteries at the Manor, Wincobank Hill and Ecclesall. But not a shot was fired. The officers were at a ball at the Grand. "

One set of guns and a searchlight was just off High Storrs Road, about where the infant school is now, and the other site was along Marsh House Rd, which was a track across a field at the time. Apparently they used to practice with the lights, and it was a public entertainment to go up there and watch the lights from these sites and others at Norton and Wincobank Hill.

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Thanks everyone for your most helpful replies.

I have to confess I don't know of a single site that lists all the people who were killed in the Zeppelin raid.

Two people called Glyn and Mark ( can't remember surnames) wrote an article on the Zeppelin raids in "The Star" last Sept/Oct. I corresponded with them and they did intend to produce a book on the topic sometime this year so keep an eye open for it.

They do have lots of info and can be contacted at : sheffield.zeppelin1916@hotmail.co.uk

Best wishes, John

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Guest hollyrose

Hi, sorry I have little in the way of historical fact to add but I do remember my Nan talking about this raid. She was a young married woman at the time, my Grandad was away fighting on the Western Front and their small son had died a month after Grandad had enlisted. I am not sure exactly where she was living at the time, but she heard the noise, went out and then completely "lost it". She was so terrified that she just took off down the street screaming all the way! Fortunately someone grabbed her and managed to get her indoors and calmed her down. Nan lived to be 90 years old but never forgot seeing the zeppelin overhead and the sheer terror she felt at the time.

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Guest tsavo

That's great Tsavo I've never seen that before - I wonder where it is now?

Good question....another little puzzle for us. Strange thing is, I'm actually trying to find pics of pubs, but keep stumbling on other things as well. Thank goodness Picture Sheffield's search engine is......less than perfect?
This is where it was in the 1990's.
http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s22339&pos=1&action=zoom&id=24819
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Sheffield and World War One: eyewitness accounts of the Zeppelin raid of 1916 (part 1)



Sheffield and World War One: eyewitness accounts of the Zeppelin raid of 1916 (part 2)

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It's interesting that the Zeppelin memorial refers to twenty-nine deaths, whereas all the lists cite only twenty-eight. I've seen suggestions that one person died later of wounds received on that night -- presumably number twenty-nine.

Peter

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Thanks Sheffield History Pro for excellent videos you posted.

My gt Grandma Elizabeth Pigott was killed when shrapnel from a Zeppelin bomb went through the upstairs bedroom window of their house at 43 Writtle St (now Maxwell Way). By bad timing she was passing that window just at the wrong time. looking after my mum age 9 months who was sleeping in the bedroom. I took photos of the house last year & places where pieces were gouged out of the brickwork can be seen as well as an area below the upstairs window where the brickwork was presumably blown out & replaced. It looks as though all the brickwork was cleaned too as its a different colour to adjoining houses.Damage must have been significant as Gt Grandad William Bellamy had to move out of the house for a couple of years while repairs were done.

43WrittleSta_zps65a4217c.jpg

43WrittleStb_zpsc2509103.jpg

43WrittleStc_zpsfefc3448.jpg

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Guest Christine Steers

Hello John

Over the weekend of September 8-11, 2016,the Friends of Burngreave Cemetery are having an exhibition and a Guided Walk to visit the graves of the civilians killed by the Zeppelin raid of 25/26 September 1916.

We would be grateful if you will allow us to use the information and picture of Elizabeth Bellamy you have provided on the Chris Hobbs site. It will be displayed in the chapel building in the cemetery. Kind regards, Christine Steers.

Zepp.jpg

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