The British phantom airship scares, 1909-1913
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Just before 9pm, crowds of people in Cardiff (including, once again, the Chief Constable of Glamorganshire, Captain Lionel Lindsay), watched an aeroplane or airship with a brilliant light travel from the north-west to the south-east. It appeared to be travelling at 60 to 70 mph at a considerable height, and disappeared over the Bristol Channel.
The Times, 9 April 1913, p. 10.
An airship was seen by a crowd of people in the evening, consisting of a moving light and possibly the white gas envelope itself.
Globe, 8 March 1913, p. 2.
Date uncertain: late February or early March 1913. A ‘scareship’ with two lights on either side of its dark body flew over the head of a Grimsby police constable at night, but he subsequently found that it was a box-kite flown by two young men.
Globe, 6 March 1913, p. 7.
At 8pm, the crew, including Captain J. H. Parker and the chief engineer, of the trawler Othello out of Hull saw an airship with a powerful searchlight. Initially it was distant, but within five minutes it was close enough to circle their trawler twice; in fact Captain Parker was afraid that it would crash into the mast. As it left to the west he saluted it with his siren and was answered by a flash from the searchlight. It had two lights aft. The Moon and stars were not visible.
The Times, 5 March 1913, p. 7; Manchester Guardian, 5 March 1913, p. 7; Standard, 5 March 1913, p, 8; Globe, 5 March 1913, p. 10.
A brilliant light and an airship shape were seen.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
An airship with bright lights was observed to fly in from the Irish Sea over the local batteries. Its shape was seen.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
See 1913-73.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
A brilliant light and an airship shape were seen.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
At 2am, a policeman saw an airship with ‘a powerful searchlight’ travelling from the direction of Nottingham towards Mansfield; it was seen also by a number of colliers.
The Times, 28 February 1913, p. 5; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
Scores of people, including W. H. Webber, watched an airship with ‘two head lights and one tail light’ between about 9.10pm. Later, Webber and ‘a considerable number of people’ saw possibly the same object at 11pm, directly over the houses; it disappeared to the west.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, pp. 6, 9.
Witnesses saw a moving light for about 5 minutes.
The Times, 28 February 1913. p. 5.
A coastguard saw lights in the sky.
The Times, 28 February 1913, p. 5
‘[N]ine distinct flashes of vivid searchlight seen’.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, pp. 6, 9.
An airship was seen by a postman, a government official, and a nurse; all the usual elements were present — the brilliant searchlight, the whirring propeller and the ‘clear outline’ of the airship itself. The lights sometimes went out.
The Times, 28 February 1913, p. 5; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
Flashing lights and a ‘long, dark moving object’ were seen.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 6, 9.
Two lights were seen.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 6, 9.
The lights and outline of an airship were seen.
Standard, 27 February 1913, p. 9; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
What initially looked like ‘an exceptionally bright star’ at a great height was soon revealed to possess the shape of an airship; ‘the throbbing of a motor and the whirring of a propeller’ was heard. This was observed by residents to circle overhead between 8.15pm and 9pm and disappeared in the direction of Seaforth to the north.
The Times, 27 February 1913, p. 6; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
An airship was sighted at about 8pm, its shape and a bright light were seen.
Manchester Guardian, 27 February 1913, p. 7, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
Several people, including Mr. Gouldby, watched an airship fly in from the north-east, over the sea, at 9.15pm. It was a clear night and the airship’s shape was clearly seen.
Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12.
At about 8.30pm, three bright lights were observed to rapidly approach the town from the east by a postman and numerous residents. They were visible for half an hour over the town, were sometimes stationary, and moved off to the north-west. No shape was discernible.
The Times, 27 February 1913, p. 6; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Globe, 26 February 1913, p. 2.
‘[C]rowds of excited people’ in the centre of the city watched an airship, which came from the east, for over an hour from about 8.30pm before it disappeared to the west; it had bright lights with an occasional ‘patch of red’.
The Times, 26 February 1913, p. 8; Manchester Guardian, 26 February 1913, p. 6, 27 February 1913, p. 7, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Standard, 26 February 1913, p. 7; Globe, 26 February 1913, p. 2.
An airship with a bright light was seen to the west for about an hour after 8pm by coastguards, who observed it with binoculars. A resident claimed it came in from over the North Sea, changing course frequently, and departed westwards at speed; another resident Falconer Jameson was able to discern a discern a cone-shaped airship through binoculars; a patch of red was visible.
The Times, 26 February 1913, p. 8; Manchester Guardian, 26 February 1913, p. 6, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Standard, 26 February 1913, p. 7; Globe, 26 February 1913, p. 2.
Lights were seen and an engine heard.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
Lights were seen and an engine heard.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
Lights were seen, no further details.
Standard, 27 February 1913, p. 9.
People saw the ‘now familiar lights’ at about 9pm, and the body of the airship itself was seen ‘by help of the lighthouse’.
Manchester Guardian, 27 February 1913, p. 7, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
An airship was seen from the steamer Orcadia at 5pm.
The Times, 28 February 1913, p. 5; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
An airship with a bright searchlight was seen at 9.30pm moving in ‘a methodical manner’ to the west by several people, including Edgar Moore; it flew off to the south-west at a high speed. It was too high for its shape to be seen (this is contradicted by one report, which also says that the engine was heard).
The Times, 26 February 1913, p. 8; Manchester Guardian, 26 February 1913, p. 6, 27 February 1913, p. 7, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Standard, 26 February 1913, p. 7.
At 8pm (or possibly 9.30pm) an airship carrying a bright light was seen by two police constables, Jenkins and Boyers, and a Royal Marine sergeant, among others. It was observed to hover above the Marine barracks, and arrived from and returned to the north or north-east. The airship’s shape was dimly perceived by the Marine to be a ‘dirigible of considerable size’.
The Times, 26 February 1913, p. 8; Manchester Guardian, 26 February 1913, p. 6, 27 February 1913, p. 7, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Standard, 26 February 1913, p. 7, 27 February 1913, p. 9.
An airship was seen at night for five minutes by a manufacturer.
Standard, 25 February 1913, p. 9.
The shape of an airship with lights seen.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
An airship without lights was seen overhead ‘with perfect distinctness, including wing attachments’ heading west-south-west towards Grimsby, by Captain Lundie and Second Officer Williams of the steamer City of Leeds out of Grimsby, bound for Hamburg. The Moon was shining brightly and the airship was seen for a full two minutes. It was observed with binoculars.
The Times, 3 March 1913, p. 7, 5 March 1913, p. 7; Manchester Guardian, 3 March 1913, p. 9, 5 March 1913, p. 7; Standard, 3 March 1913, p. 9; Globe, 3 March 1913, p. 7.
At 4.30am the two men from 1913-26 saw an airship over the lock. They could see the bulging cigar-shaped outline faintly, as well as its searchlight, three wheels and a ‘faint throbbing noise’.
Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3.
Lights seen, no further details.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.
At 7.40pm, Mrs. Schofield, the wife of the manager of Singer’s Machine Company in Selby, saw two very powerful lights, one in front ‘like the headlight of a motor car’ and one 30 to 40 feet to the rear approaching while being driven to the village of Cawood. Having seen a flight of army airmen on their way to Montrose in Scotland the day before, she was able to estimate the airship’s height at some 1500 to 2000 feet. It disappeared from view within three or four minutes.
Standard, 26 February 1913, p. 7. On the flight to Montrose, see Globe, 21 February 1913, p. 12, 22 February 1913, p. 7.
Rapidly moving lights seen at night, no further details.
The Times, 27 February 1913, p. 6; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Globe, 26 February 1913, p. 2.
The airship or aeroplane, at a considerable height, was seen for about five minutes on a clear moonlit night at about 9.45pm by a number of witnesses ‘of irreproachable character’ including policemen and colliers, in Exhall and Longford. It appeared to be carrying two headlights and a rear light, came from the direction of Leicester and headed west towards Birmingham very quickly.
The Times, 24 February 1913, p. 6; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Standard, 24 February 1913, p. 9.
Airship seen at night, no further details.
Standard, 25 February 1913, p. 9.
Airship seen at night, no further details.
Standard, 25 February 1913, p. 9.
At 10pm, insurance superintendent John Collinwood with a group of businessmen watched an airship with red and green lights playing its searchlight over the railway lines from the Church Fenton station, seven miles to the north of Selby. At point it was low over the houses and then it rose to a considerable height. After twenty minutes it flew north at great speed.
Standard, 24 February 1913, p. 9; Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3.
The train driver on the express from Wistow Gates to Selby, Fred Head, reported that an airship with a bright headlight kept pace with his train, to the front and side, until it was lost in the fog.
Standard, 25 February 1913, p. 9; Globe, 25 February 1913, p. 10.
Nine miles east of Selby, a man and his horse were startled by the bright light of an airship between 10pm and 11pm heading very quickly towards Bridlington.
Standard, 24 February 1913, p. 9.
Lights and the shape of an airship seen.
Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3.
At 9.30pm two men, John Ripley and T. Clarke, were loading a barge with sand on the river Ouse when they saw lights circling the countryside for some time.
Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3.
An airship was seen; no further details.
Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3.
Airship seen at night, no further details.
Standard, 25 February 1913, p. 9.
Solicitor C. H. March and his wife watched a bright starlike object flying to the west of Selby from about 9.25pm, moving up and down and occasionally disappearing. Just after 10pm it disappeared to the west. Mr Sanderson Daw saw it flying overhead; it had a strong front light and two rear lights. Two women saw it using its searchlight over a common. At 10pm Sergeant Skyrme, an Army veteran of twenty years’ service, saw an object he took to be an aeroplane with powerful lights in front and rear.
Manchester Guardian, 27 February 1913, p. 7, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Standard, 24 February 1913, p. 9; Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3; Globe, 25 February 1913, p. 10.
An airship with searchlight was seen between 7.40pm and 10pm, and its engine heard.
Manchester Guardian, 27 February 1913, p. 7, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3.
Dentist’s wife Mrs. McClure and her friend saw an airship while driving from Riccall to Selby. It had bright lights at the front and rear, and disappeared to the northwest of Selby.
Standard, 25 February 1913, p. 9.
At 8pm, a fruit and potato merchant named Creasor saw and heard the airship, with a powerful searchlight, at Riccall, three miles north of Selby. A grocer named George Daniels and others in his house heard an aircraft between 9pm and 10pm; upon going outside they saw a bright light fast approaching, and they could see the long cigar shape of the envelope. It carried a searchlight and a rear light, and headed towards Market Weighton. Several other people on the outskirts of Riccall also saw it.
Standard, 24 February 1913, p. 9, 26 February 1913, p. 7.
See 1913-33.
The Times, 24 February 1913, p. 6; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Standard, 24 February 1913, p. 9, 25 February 1913, p. 9.
Lights seen at night and engine sounds heard at about 8.30pm, no further details.
The Times, 27 February 1913, p. 6; Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12; Globe, 26 February 1913, p. 2.
Date uncertain: ca. 6 February 1913. A drifting light was seen by several people, including E. G. Herbert and a boy, at 6.30pm; it was about 20 degrees above the horizon, due south. It moved to the west-south-west over a period of about five minutes, and gradually disappeared. No shape was seen.
Manchester Guardian, 28 February 1913, p. 4.
A ‘mysterious airship’ was seen by members of the Marshall family. Only a light was visible, which appeared to be directed downwards and was buffeted by the wind. It was under observation for 25 minutes from about 6.30pm. The light disappeared and reappeared twice and finally disappeared to the north.
Manchester Guardian, 6 February 1913, p. 9.
On a bright night with little wind, an airship was seen shortly after 8pm for ‘a considerable time’. The thousands of witnesses included a police sergeant; some claimed to clearly see the outlines of the airship, which carried a bright light, over the Bristol Channel. It passed out of sight to the northwest.
The Times, 6 February 1913, p. 12; Manchester Guardian, 6 February 1913, p. 9; Standard, 6 February 1913, p. 8.
See 1913-21.
The Times, 6 February 1913, p. 12; Manchester Guardian, 6 February 1913, p. 9; Standard, 6 February 1913, p. 8.
See 1913-20.
The Times, 6 February 1913, p. 12; Manchester Guardian, 6 February 1913, p. 9; Standard, 6 February 1913, p. 8.
A number of people saw an airship.
Globe, 3 February 1913, p. 12.
Police constable Church observed an airship heading west over Swansea Bay and the Mumbles at 7.30pm for an hour, and several other people also witnessed ‘the outline of an airship carrying a light’.
Globe, 3 February 1913, p. 12; The Times, 4 February 1913, p. 4; Manchester Guardian, 4 February 1913, p. 5.
Colonel Henry Lewis’s servants, including a stud groom, saw an airship with a light at the rear coming from Cardiff and heading west at 10.45pm. Although Neath was telephoned nobody saw it there and so it was assumed to have crossed the Bristol Channel to Exmoor. The night was clear.
The Times, 4 February 1913, p. 4; Globe, 3 February 1913, p. 12; Standard, 3 February 1913, p. 9; Manchester Guardian, 4 February 1913, p. 5. The precise location is from Nigel Watson, Granville Oldroyd, and David Clarke, The 1912-1913 British Phantom Airship Scare (South Humberside: Self published, 1987), 198.
Multiple witnesses, including two women and a former army officer using binoculars, saw three mystery aircraft heading west at 6pm, one flashing a red light. At midnight a man heard an aircraft overhead.
Norfolk News, 8 February 1913, p. 11.
An airship was seen, no further details.
Globe, 3 February 1913, p. 12.
Between 7pm and 8.30pm, an unidentified aircraft (described by some as an aeroplane) was watched by five people over this Liverpool suburb for some time. It carried a brilliant light and travelled at an estimated speed of 25 mph.
The Times, 28 January 1913, p. 13; Manchester Guardian, 28 January 1913, p. 6; Standard, 28 January 1913, p. 9.
An aircraft was seen by inhabitants of this village, south of Aberystwyth, at 8.25pm. It was heading for Cardigan Bay but ‘its searchlight, which swept the hills, evidently revealed the nearness of the sea, and it turned south’.
The Times, 30 January 1913, p. 12; Standard, 31 January 1913, p. 7.
An airship was seen, no further details.
Globe, 3 February 1913, p. 12.
At 7.30pm, several people saw an airship carrying a light.
Globe, 22 January 1913, p. 5.
Captain Lionel Lindsay, Chief Constable of Glamorganshire, and a bystander saw an object overhead through the fog at about 4.45pm, heading towards Swansea and leaving behind a dense trail of smoke. It was judged to be both larger and faster than the Willows airship, although its shape was indistinct. At 6pm, Stephen Morgan also saw ‘something resembling an airship’ with a light heading west, and trailing smoke. Further witnesses emerged to verify the story, adding that after leaving Cardiff it altered course from west to north-west, and that it travelled quickly and carried a light – in fact it was so fast that by the time ‘one observer ran to a telephone the airship had almost disappeared’. Another report noted that the sounds of its propellers had been heard in several districts of South Wales at night. One man, E. Morgan, thought it was oval-shaped.
The Times, 21 January 1913, p. 10, 22 January 1913, p. 19; Standard, 21 January 1913, p. 9, 22 January 1913, p. 9; Globe, 21 January 1913, p. 6, 22 January 1913, p. 5; Norfolk News, 25 January 1913, p. 10; Daily Herald, 22 January 1913, p. 7; Manchester Guardian, 23 January 1913, p. 12.
Lights were seen in the sky over the Bristol Channel at night, believed to be an airship.
Standard, 21 January 1913, p. 9, 22 January 1913, p. 9.
At about 5am, town employee John Hobbs saw an aircraft carrying a light (which, it was thought, made it more likely to be an airship than an aeroplane), coming in from over the sea. It was moving very fast in a north-easterly direction, with strong winds coming from the west. He first heard the throb of its engines, which was also heard by police constable Pierce and a tradesman named Langley.
The Times, 6 January 1913, p. 6; Standard, 21 January 1913, p. 9, 22 January 1913, p. 9.
A light was seen, no further details.
Standard, 31 January 1913, p. 7.
An unknown airship was seen to hover over this naval port town in the afternoon for fifteen minutes. Since it was observed to fly the White Ensign and flew from and to the direction of Aldershot to the north, where the army’s airships were based, it was presumed that the navy had borrowed one for testing purposes, or that it was a previously unknown naval airship. Flight confirmed that it was in fact the army’s Beta II.
The Times, 4 December 1912, p. 6; Manchester Guardian, 4 December 1912, p. 16; Flight, 7 December 1912, p. 1143.
At 6.50pm an ‘unknown aircraft’ was heard by many people over this naval port town, including Lieutenant Fitzmaurice RN, Miss Walker, Mr H. R. Hounsell and Albert Wells. Some also saw a bright light, possibly red, as well a long dark shape. The light was seen westwards out to sea, but seemed to be travelling east ‘fairly fast’.
PRO AIR 1/2456; The Times, 19 November 1912, p. 12; The Times, 22 November 1912, p. 8; The Times, 28 November 1912, p. 10; Manchester Guardian, 19 November 1912, p. 6.
Date uncertain: 13 or 21 October 1912. A man saw ‘what in shape had every appearance of a Zeppelin airship’ over the sea which was visible for fifteen minutes and flew off to the east. The sky was overcast.
Norfolk News, 1 March 1913, p. 12.
Date uncertain: before 21 May 1909. People saw a cigar shaped airship, without lights, passing overhead on several consecutive nights.
Manchester Guardian, 21 May 1909, p. 7; Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
Just before 11.30pm, a ‘well-known gentleman’ had stopped to repair the headlight on his motorcycle, when he was dazzled by a light shining on him from above for about thirty seconds. It was apparently travelling towards Norwich. He did not see or hear anything else.
Globe, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
A cyclist named Chatten — an assistant in a local grocery and drapery store, ‘a brisk, intelligent person, who does not in the least impress one as a dreamer of dreams and a viewer of visions’ — riding home at around midnight was dazzled by a bright, bluish light shining from above. He saw a ‘long cigar-shaped object’ three or four hundred feet above him. There appeared to be some sort of framework beneath it with a yellow light at either end. No sounds could be heard. The sky was dark but the airship could be seen outlined against it.
Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
Strong lights were seen between 11.30pm and midnight, and a ‘whizzing’ sound was also heard.
Globe, 20 May 1909, p. 7.
The brother of the witness in another sighting and at least one other person saw a strange light in the sky between 11.30pm and midnight.
Globe, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
An airship was seen manoeuvring high up at dusk; it disappeared with nightfall.
Globe, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
A cigar-shaped airship with a light at each end and which ‘quivered’ in such as way as to suggest a ‘mechanical contrivance’, was seen by architect and surveyor Garth Fisher and his wife over their house between 9.30pm and 10pm. It was also seen by nearly all the workers at the town forge and two postal workers, heading northwards over a mountain, having changed direction by nearly ninety degrees. It was apparently carrying a canvas.
Globe, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Manchester Guardian, 21 May 1909, p. 7; Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
Several people independently saw an airship at night.
Globe, 20 May 1909. p.7.
At 1.30am a man cycling home saw an airship with two brilliant lights flying at speed to the southwest. (Kingstown is now Dún Laoghaire.)
Globe, 20 May 1909, p. 7.
At 11.30pm, Mrs. Turner saw lights and heard propellers while coming home from the theatre, as did a young man and a young woman. The street was lit up as if it was day. The object flew very low and approached from the north-north-east, but was not seen itself, only a ‘bright star of light’ at the front and a searchlight at the rear.
Globe, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
At 1.15am, an airship was seen by a couple of dozen ‘highly respectable and intelligent dock officials and coal trimmers’ working at the Queen Alexandria Dock. In the words of signalman Charles (or Robert) Westlake, the object appeared to be have a ‘cigar shape, making a whizzing noise. It was lit by two lights, which could be plainly seen. It was travelling at a great rate, and was elevated at a distance of half a mile, making from the eastward’ where it disappeared over the Bristol Channel. It was only visible for two or three minutes; the night was clear, with no moon. Other witnesses included pointsman W. Morrison, traffic foreman C. Harwood, boxman W. John, coal tippers C. Hayman, J. Rogers and C. Bray, and F. Smith, acting mate of the Arndale.
Globe, 19 May 1909, p. 4; Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Standard, 20 May 1909, p. 10.
Some Belgian fishermen out of Ostend observed a manoeuvring dirigible.
Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
There were unconfirmed rumours of an airship sighting in the Cathays district of Cardiff just before 11pm.
Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7.
At about 11pm, a travelling Punch and Judy showman named C. Lethbridge encountered an airship on the ground, about 45 feet in length, on the summit of Caerphilly Mountain, just to the north of Cardiff. He also claimed to have met its crew, two young men in heavy fur coats who ‘jabbered furiously to each other in a strange language — Welsh, or something else. Certainly not English’. The airship rose into the air, the men jumped into a carriage suspended underneath, ‘two lights like electric lamps’ switched on, and it flew towards Cardiff. There was a whirring sound which came from a fan at the back of the carriage. The next day, Lethbridge accompanied a journalist to the landing site where the ground appeared disturbed; a collection of strange objects was found, including a kind of plug with a label in French (including the ominous word obus, “shrapnel”), paper scraps on the letterhead of a firm of London stockbrokers, and a number of newspaper clippings concerning ‘airships or the German army’. Also found were fragments of notes ‘bearing a mass of figures and letters of the alphabet formed in a style distinctly different to that of the average English hand’.
Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Standard, 20 May 1909, p. 10; Globe, 20 May 1909, p. 7.
Date uncertain: before 17 May 1909. Residents saw an airship. No further details.
Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9.
Monmouth auctioneer Oliver Jones and his wife saw an airship at 10.30pm while driving from Tregare with two passengers. They watched it for about half an hour and could clearly discern its cigar shape, apparently travelling faster than the 8 to 10 miles an hour of the motor car. It came from the direction of Raglan, heading towards Chepstow; it then turned around and headed back towards Raglan.
Manchester Guardian, 21 May 1909, p. 7. The place name is given as Tregarog, but this appears to be a garbled reference to Tregare.
A solicitor’s clerk named Edwards who had missed the last train and was walking home from Sheringham to Lowestoft spied an airship just after midnight over North Walsham; he initially saw two or three lights a short distance above the ground, but only paid close attention after hearing a ‘peculiar noise’ and then saw a ‘glaring light’. He was able to observe ‘a dark object ascending’ which headed in the direction of Yarmouth or Lowestoft.
Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
At about 1.30am, a Mrs. Wigg was awakened by the sound of an engine outside; looking out her window she saw a dark, bottle-shaped airship as well as its pilot, flying southwest. In the same house, Mr, T. Plowman was dazzled by a brilliant light at this time, while a number of other people also saw a bright light.
Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
At 7.30pm Captain Hervey, a local government board inspector, witnessed a cigar-shaped balloon at a height of a quarter of a mile and some three of four miles distant, flying east against the wind.
Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
A score of people all over the city observed ‘a long cigar-shaped object’ with a ‘brilliant headlight’ at 10pm for about 15 minutes. That it was occupied was ‘conclusively proven’ by a flashing red light. The object was moving rapidly at a height of about two or three thousand feet then slowed and disappeared to the northeast.
Manchester Guardian, 18 May 1909, p. 7, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Standard, 18 May 1909, p. 8.
Mrs. Fricker, a nurse, saw something at around 1.20am, flashing white, green and red lights, which was visible for an hour.
Standard, 14 May 1909, p. 9.
Captain Egenes and the crew of the Norwegian steamer St. Olaf saw a low-flying airship fly overhead, which shone a searchlight onto the ship’s deck. It moved off and examined another steamer.
Globe, 19 May 1909, p. 4; Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7. The location was off Blyth, Northumberland, according to David Clarke, “Scareships over Britain: The airship wave of 1909,” Fortean Studies 6 (1999): 52.
At 11.20pm a woman, H. M. Boville, saw an ‘almost motionless’ ‘large, black object, oblong in shape’ about a quarter of a mile above the houses. It suddenly rose in the air after a minute or two, and then moved very fast towards London, briefly showing two brilliant lights.
Norfolk News, 15 May 1909, p. 15; Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9.
Egerton Free saw a long sausage-shaped airship manoeuvring over the cliffs for a few minutes at dusk (one report says 10.30pm); it remained stationary at a an estimated height of 600 feet for a few minutes and then headed north-east. At the same location the next day he found ‘a curious object made of steel and India-rubber’ weighing 35lb, stamped with the words ‘Müller Bremen Fabrik’.
Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Norfolk News, 15 May 1909, p. 15; Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9; Globe, 17 May 1909, p. 7.
C. W. Allen and Mr. Brown saw a fast-moving ‘oblong’ airship with lights before and aft at about 11pm.
Date uncertain. The brother-in-law (possibly named Strange) of ‘prominent Peterborough tradesman’ Herbert Neaverson was so impressed by the airship he saw that he travelled to London to inform the War Office. He saw a light coming from towards the sea in the early hours of the morning. He could not see the shape of the airship but he could hear the engine and a ‘swishing’ noise.
Norfolk News, 15 May 1909, p. 15; Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9.
A builder and his family watched an egg-shaped airship (with the larger end pointing up) manoeuvring between clouds at about 7.30pm. It was estimated to be about 10 miles to the west and travelling quickly in that direction.
A sighting was made by police constable Hudson and J. A. Smith.
Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9; Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7
Mr. Banyard and Mrs. Day independently saw an airship at night, no further details.
Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9; Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7.
Police constable Kettle saw an ‘oblong-shaped airship with a powerful light pass over the town’ at 5am.
Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9; Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7.
