scareships » Essex

Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Brett Holman — Tue, 18 May 1909 14:56:47 +0000

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.

Bradfield, Essex

Brett Holman — Mon, 17 May 1909 12:39:48 +0000

Date uncertain: before 17 May 1909. No details.

Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9.

Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex

Brett Holman — Thu, 13 May 1909 11:22:05 +0000

A man named Rubens reported an airship. No further details.

Standard, 17 May 1909, p. 9

Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Brett Holman — Sun, 09 May 1909 13:20:23 +0000

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.

Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

Brett Holman — Thu, 06 May 1909 14:00:14 +0000

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.