“Ship’S Broken Falling!": Disaster over the Humber

By Kenneth Deacon

The book tells the story of the R38/ZR2 airship which broke in half and crashed into the River Humber in Hull England. It also tells the fictitious love story of a local girl and one of the American crew.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Dec 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491879399

Kenneth Deacon

Kenneth Deacon moved to Howden after a lifetime in the aviation industry. First in the RAF for twenty-two years, then six years on an airline before working at British Aerospace in Bristol on the design team of the Airbus A330/A340. His last job was as a senior system safety analyst.

Book preview

Chapter 1

A freezing January winter wind was blowing along the railway platform at Goole in Yorkshire England the date 1915, but the only two people on the station were so involved with each other that they hardly noticed the cold. The man in Army uniform was kept warm with his top coat hat and gloves and the young girl was cocooned in his strong arms and it felt good, she turned towards the soldier nesting in the warmth. For the last week the soldier had been home on leave from his regiment and they had spent nearly every waking hour in each other’s company. These two teenagers had been in love with each other since they were at school together and now George, the soldier was waiting for the train that was to take him back to his barracks where his regiment was on their way to the battle front. He was on his way to the deadly trenches of the World War 1 battlefields. His girlfriend, Hannah had been in love with George for as long as she could remember. George had volunteered to join the Army as soon as he saw Kitchener’s posters although being only 18 years old, and now the war had been going on for nearly six months. The powers to be had said it would all be over by Christmas, but Christmas had been and gone and things had got far worse on the battle front than had ever been anticipated. As the train pulled into the Station and came to a stop George opened the nearest compartment door and dropped the window so they could still talk to each other for a few more precious moments. ‘Make sure you look after yourself George and don’t volunteer for anything, and come back to me soon ‘please oh! Please come back to me I don’t know what I would do if I lost you’ said a tearful Hannah. ‘Yes of course I will, there is no way you will lose me’ responded George trying to put on a confident manner ‘And you watch out for any air raids. When I come home next time perhaps we can get married’. ‘Oh! What a way to ask me.’ Hannah replied ‘of course I will marry you, does this mean we are official engaged’? The whistle blown by the guard sent a feeling of foreboding through Hannah as she wrapped her arms around George’s neck as if trying to stop him from going. The tears were now streaming down her cheeks. George eased her away so he could pull the window up after he had kissed her goodbye. Hannah stood watching the lights of the carriages go past rooted to the spot until the lights on the train faded into the distance. ‘Bye my love please come back to me safe and sound’ she said to herself drying the tears.

As soon as the train cleared the platform and Hannah had disappeared from his view George pulled the leather strap up which closed the window. ‘Thank God for that’ came a voice from behind him ‘It was bloody freezing with that window open’ ‘I’m sorry’ apologized George turning to face a rather large man in a Navy uniform ‘I don’t know when or If I’ll see her again’. ‘No offence meant mate we have all been there and you are right we don’t know what to expect’. ‘You’re not wrong there’ said another young man in Army uniform and the rest of men in the compartment seemed to agree. As George took he seat he saw there was another sailor seated next to the one who had complained and on the other bench seat were two R.A.F chaps who had nodded in agreement with George’s statement. By the time the train had reached Doncaster everyone was on first named terms and the compartment had warmed up again. The two R.A.F. lads got off at Doncaster and their seats were filled with two more sailors. Of course no one was allowed to say where they were bound for Careless talk cost lives the poster pinned above the seat said. But it was pretty clear that the Navy lads were on their way to Plymouth to join their ship. The other Army lad was getting off at Kings Cross as was George.

The rest of journey everyone seemed to fall asleep and the conversation ended. George tried to sleep but his thoughts were of Hannah and the fact that he had proposed to marry her, not that he regretted that it just didn’t seem very romantic, but she certainly seemed pleased that he had. He would apologize in the next letter he wrote to her. They all got off at Kings Cross, the sailors having to change stations to catch the train to Plymouth. George, and Billy, the other army lad, were both on their way to Woolwich. At the entrance of the station were positioned two MP’s military police who directed them to a lorry which was waiting for all those going to Woolwich barracks?

When George arrived at his billet he was greeted by a friend he had made when he had come down to enlist a few months earlier. ‘How was your leave’ asked Alfie, he was from London and seemed a bit of a wide boy but he had help George settled in and they had struck up a friendship. ‘Well it went off find and I even got engaged’ explained George! ‘Well good for you’ replied Alfie grabbing George’s hand in a very firm handshake. Seeing that George was busy unpacking his kitbag Alfie added ‘Don’t get too settled here because we are off tomorrow to France.’ ‘As soon as that’ said George a bit disappointed, he had been hoping to have a bit more time before having to face the Germans.

Next day saw the whole unit getting into a convoy of Lorries and transported to Southampton. Here they boarded a ship called the Aragon which was to take them across the channel. As they arrived the weather took a turn for the worse and the rain came down soaking them and all their equipment was getting water logged. The ship was not leaving until after dark, because of the threat of German U-boats, all the lights on the ship were dimmed and even smoking was banned. The ship was escorted by two Royal Navy ships. The channel crossing was really bad, as the ship rolled in the stormy sea. George and Alfie were both sea sick as were most of the other soldiers on-board and it was a blessing when they were able to disembark at Ostend in France.

Chapter 2

H a nnah left the station wiping the tears from her eyes and suddenly she was aware how cold it was she had been lovely and warm while she was in George’s arms but now as she turned into Pasture road the wind really cut into her. But at the same time she smelt something that put a spring in her step, as she got to the fish and chip shop she looked in the window and saw her best friend Pat. As they walked back to their homes together Pat ask if George had got away OK ‘yes’ replied Hannah taking a bite of her fish ‘plus he asked me to marry him there on the platform’ ‘what did you say?’ asked Pat ‘come on tell me all it’s about time you two got married you’ve known each other long enough.’ ‘Well I said yes of course, would you be my matron of honour’ ‘You try and stop me that is fantastic news I’m so please for you both’ answered Pat.

‘Have you set a date? Or is it too soon to plan that far ahead? ‘Pat looking in her handbag to see if she could find her diary. ‘No it’s too soon yet but we will hope to do it when he comes home for his next leave’. ‘Anyway I will give you plenty of notice so you can get a posh frock’ laughed Hannah ‘Those fish and chips have warmed me up lovely I will see you again tomorrow, do you fancy going to the pictures’? ‘Yes I heard it’s a good film at the Carlton see you after work good night and God bless’.

Chapter 3

A ugust the 8 th . 1915 at Nordholz Germany the Zeppelin airship L9 was being prepared for a night time bombing raid on the British North Eastern Port of Hull. The riggers and engineers had been working for hours making sure that the ship was serviceable; charged with hydrogen gas and all the fabric envelope had been check for any tears and no gas bags were leaking. The engineers were busy with the engines, instrumentation and flying controls, everything and to be spot on, already some of the Zeppelins had been lost and the crew killed by fires on board igniting the gas. There was no way that the Kommandant L. Mathy was going to lose the L9 that way. So far the British Royal Flying Corp had not been able to shoot any Zeppelins down mainly because the airship could out climb the aircraft they were using. Mind he thought it would not be long before the aircraft companies came up with a fighter plane that would be able to reach the German ships, but in the meantime they must destroy the towns and ports while they had the advantage.

With Kommandant L. Mathy satisfied that the L9 was ready then it was time to load the bombs. They were going to drop high explosives first and then the incendiaries. The latter would cause fires to create maximum damage to buildings and ships in the dock and provide the ill equipped fire fighters with dozens of fires all over the area. The crew assembled in readiness to board all dressed now in cold weather outfits. It’s surprising how cold it got flying at over 14,000 feet and their hands nearly getting frost bite as they dropped their deadly cargo sometimes by hand.

The flight across the North Sea seemed to be going well although there was a hidden problem with their navigational equipment with the result they made landfall over Aldborough in Norfolk. Seeing there was no sign of any large port they turned on to a northern heading looking for the River Humber soon they saw the Humber but by this time they were heading 30 miles east