The Raid
During the early afternoon of Monday 25 September 1916, five Zeppelins took off from their bases in northern Germany with orders to attack England. Three of the airships headed for London and the South of England. The remaining two, L-21 and L-22, were to attack the North Midlands industrial towns. The target for L-22's commander, Kapitänleutnant Martin Dietrich, was Sheffield.
Many of Britain's leading armament and munitions firms were based in Sheffield; it was therefore a prime Zeppelin target. Indeed, Sheffield had been the intended target on previous raids, but on each occasion the attacking airships failed to find the city.
L-21 crossed the Lincolnshire coast at 9.45 pm and headed in the general direction of Sheffield. Dietrich in L-22 was following a similar course, but about 45 minutes behind. Progress of the two airships was monitored by Britain's air defence network and a potential threat to Sheffield was recognised. An air raid warning was issued for the Sheffield area and throughout the city electric 'buzzers' warned people to take cover. This was Sheffield's 14th air raid warning. Many people followed the official advice and took refuge in their cellars. For some the warnings created a sense of panic and they fled to the city's parks, woods and open spaces hoping to be safe from falling bombs. Others saw raid warnings as a spectacle, believing Sheffield's inland location and surrounding hills made it impossible for a Zeppelin to find at night.
Shortly after the warning was given, Thomas Wilson, a 59 year old engineer's fitter of 73 Petre Street, went outside to chat with neighbours. He was sceptical about the Zeppelin threat and told his next-door neighbour that they would never come to Sheffield. Ninety minutes later he became one of the raid's first fatalities.
At 10.56 pm, as L-21 approached Sheffield, Captain Edward Clifton, Royal Flying Corps, took off from Coal Aston airfield in a BE 2C biplane nightfighter to intercept it (the old airfield site now lies under the modern Jordanthorpe estate). The weather over Sheffield was cloudy with poor visibility. Finding the Zeppelin in such conditions was hopeless. After twenty minutes, Captain Clifton gave up the search and attempted to land back at Coal Aston, but crashed on high ground. Although the aircraft was damaged he escaped injury. L-21 turned away just before reaching Sheffield and skirted around the north of the city before heading off to drop its bombs in Lancashire.
About 12.20 am L-22 arrived over the city. At 178.5 metres (585 ft. 5 in.) long with a maximum diameter of 18.7 metres (61 ft. 4 in.), even by modern aviation standards its size was impressive (see Picture Gallery). The airship was constructed from an aluminium framework covered with waterproofed cotton. Within the framework were eighteen gas cells filled with hydrogen, a lighter than air gas, which kept the machine in the air. It was powered by four petrol engines and had a top speed of around 60 miles per hour.
L-22 flew across the city to the Fulwood and Redmires areas and then turned east towards Attercliffe. The Zeppelin accelerated to full speed, a tactic used to make it a more difficult for defending anti-aircraft guns to score a hit.
The first bombs, two incendiaries, were dropped around 12.25 am and landed in Burngreave Cemetery, near to the Melrose Road entrance. Other than scorching some grass and a notice board no damage was caused.
The first high explosive bomb fell in Danville Street killing 49 year old Frederick Stratford, who was struck by shrapnel whilst in bed. In nearby Grimesthorpe Road a bomb fell on No 112 and exploded killing 76 year old Ann Coogan and her 56 year old daughter, Margaret Taylor.
At 73 Petre Street, Thomas Wilson, who had then retired to bed, heard the exploding bombs and rushed to his bedroom window. His timing could not have been worse. As he looked out a bomb fell on a nearby outbuilding and exploded. He was struck on the chin by a bomb fragment and died instantly.
The next bomb, a high explosive, fell on Writtle Street (now Maxwell Way). As 57 year old Elizabeth Bellamy rushed across her bedroom, she was struck in the back by shrapnel. She was taken to the Royal Hospital, off West Street, but died from her injuries three hours later.
Two high explosives bombs fell in Cossey Road causing dreadful loss of life. The first demolished a block of three terrace houses comprising No's. 26, 28 and 30. In No. 28 Alice and Albert Newton were killed as they lay in bed. Luckily, their infant son was spending the night with his grandmother in a nearby street and was unharmed. George and Eliza Harrison lived at No. 26 with their two daughters and two grandchildren. After the warning had sounded they were joined by their neighbours from No. 24, William and Sarah Southerington. George and William stayed in the living room while everyone else took shelter in the cellar. All eight were killed in the explosion. The Southeringtons' house suffered only minor damage and had they stayed at home would have survived. The second Cossey Road bomb landed on No. 10 killing Levi and Beatrice Hames and their one year old son.
In Corby Street (now Fred Mulley Road) a high explosive bomb demolished No. 136, killing Selina and Joseph Tyler and four of their five children. The fifth child was found alive and taken to the Royal Infirmary, Infirmary Road, but died later that day from shock. The same bomb also killed 11 year old Richard Brewington of No. 134 and fatally injured Martha Shakespeare of No. 143, who succumbed to her injuries later in the day at the Royal Infirmary.
Woodbourne Hill saw the last casualty of the raid when William Guest, a Corporation wagon driver, was killed in the street by a bomb as he tried to warn the occupants of a house showing a light.
The final few high explosive bombs fell near Manor Lane, but did little damage. The Zeppelin then flew over Darnall and Tinsley Park Colliery, dropping several more incendiary bombs, before heading out to sea and returning safely to Germany.
Although a number of anti-aircraft guns and searchlights were located around Sheffield, cloud prevented their crews from seeing the Zeppelin. A gun sited at Shiregreen was the only one to take action. It fired two rounds in the approximate direction of the airship without result.
After the raid came the grim task of recovering the bodies of those buried in wrecked houses. Over the following week funerals for the victims were held; all but three were buried in the Burngreave Cemetery.