Manchester Guardian

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North Sea, 170 miles from Spurn Head, East Riding of Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in At sea, Globe, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Standard, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Rosyth, Fife

8 November 2009 in Fife, Manchester Guardian, Rosyth, Scotland, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

A brilliant light and an airship shape were seen.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

New Brighton, Merseyside

8 November 2009 in England, Manchester Guardian, Merseyside, New Brighton, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Liverpool, Merseyside

8 November 2009 in England, Liverpool, Manchester Guardian, Merseyside, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

See 1913-73.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

Kirkcaldy, Fife

8 November 2009 in Fife, Kirkcaldy, Manchester Guardian, Scotland, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

A brilliant light and an airship shape were seen.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

Hucknall, Nottinghamshire

8 November 2009 in England, Hucknall, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Nottinghamshire, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Ardwick, Greater Manchester

8 November 2009 in Ardwick, England, Greater Manchester, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Romiley, Greater Manchester

8 November 2009 in England, Greater Manchester, Manchester Guardian, Romiley, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

‘[N]ine distinct flashes of vivid searchlight seen’.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, pp. 6, 9.

Portland Harbour, Dorset

8 November 2009 in Auditory, Dorset, England, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Portland Harbour, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Hyde, Greater Manchester

8 November 2009 in England, Greater Manchester, Hyde, Manchester Guardian, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

Flashing lights and a ‘long, dark moving object’ were seen.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 6, 9.

Avonmouth, Bristol

8 November 2009 in Avonmouth, Bristol, England, Manchester Guardian, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

Two lights were seen.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 6, 9.

Portishead, Somerset

8 November 2009 in England, Manchester Guardian, Portishead, Somerset, Standard, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

The lights and outline of an airship were seen.

Standard, 27 February 1913, p. 9; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

Liverpool, Merseyside

8 November 2009 in Auditory, England, Liverpool, Manchester Guardian, Merseyside, Multiple witness, Night, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Leeds, West Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in England, Leeds, Manchester Guardian, Night, Visual, West Yorkshire by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Hunstanton, Norfolk

8 November 2009 in England, Globe, Hunstanton, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Norfolk, Norfolk News, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Globe, Hull, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Norfolk News, Standard, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

‘[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.

Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Globe, Hornsea, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Norfolk News, Standard, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Dover, Kent

8 November 2009 in Auditory, Dover, England, Kent, Manchester Guardian, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

Lights were seen and an engine heard.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

Castle Donington, Leicestershire

8 November 2009 in Auditory, Castle Donington, England, Leicestershire, Manchester Guardian, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

Lights were seen and an engine heard.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Visual, Withernsea by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Off Sanday Isle, Orkney

8 November 2009 in At sea, Manchester Guardian, Night, Orkney, Sanday Isle, Scotland, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

An airship was seen from the steamer Orcadia at 5pm.

The Times, 28 February 1913, p. 5; Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

Ipswich, Suffolk

8 November 2009 in Auditory, England, Ipswich, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Norfolk News, Standard, Suffolk, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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).

Gosport (near Portsmouth), Hampshire

8 November 2009 in Daily Herald, England, Gosport, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Norfolk News, Standard, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Scarborough, North Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in England, Manchester Guardian, North Yorkshire, Scarborough, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

The shape of an airship with lights seen.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

North Sea, near Grimsby, Lincolnshire

8 November 2009 in At sea, England, Globe, Lincolnshire, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Standard, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Corbridge, Northumberland

8 November 2009 in Corbrige, England, Manchester Guardian, Northumberland, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

Lights seen, no further details.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9.

Hunstanton, Norfolk

8 November 2009 in England, Globe, Hunstanton, Manchester Guardian, Night, Norfolk, Norfolk News, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in Bridlington, Daily Herald, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Manchester Guardian, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

Lights and the shape of an airship seen.

Manchester Guardian, 1 March 1913, p. 9; Daily Herald, 26 February 1913, p. 3.

Selby, North Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in Daily Herald, England, Globe, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, North Yorkshire, Selby, Standard, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Scarborough, North Yorkshire

8 November 2009 in Auditory, Daily Herald, England, Manchester Guardian, Night, Norfolk News, North Yorkshire, Scarborough, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Fallowfield, Greater Manchester

8 November 2009 in England, Fallowfield, Greater Manchester, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

South Manchester, Greater Manchester

8 November 2009 in England, Greater Manchester, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, South Manchester, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Newport, Newport

8 November 2009 in Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Newport, Newport, Night, Standard, The Times, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Neath, Neath Port Talbot

8 November 2009 in Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Neath, Neath Port Talbot, Night, Standard, The Times, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

See 1913-21.

The Times, 6 February 1913, p. 12; Manchester Guardian, 6 February 1913, p. 9; Standard, 6 February 1913, p. 8.

Cardiff, Cardiff

8 November 2009 in Cardiff, Cardiff, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Standard, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

See 1913-20.

The Times, 6 February 1913, p. 12; Manchester Guardian, 6 February 1913, p. 9; Standard, 6 February 1913, p. 8.

Aberavon, Neath Port Talbot

8 November 2009 in Aberavon, Globe, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Neath Port Talbot, Night, The Times, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Neath, Neath Port Talbot

8 November 2009 in Manchester Guardian, Neath, Neath Port Talbot, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

Date uncertain: 1 or 2 February 1913. Airship heading west, no further details.

Manchester Guardian, 4 February 1913, p. 5.

The Mumbles, Swansea

8 November 2009 in Manchester Guardian, Swansea, The Mumbles, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

Airship heading west, no further details.

Manchester Guardian, 4 February 1913, p. 5. The date is from Nigel Watson, Granville Oldroyd, and David Clarke, The 1912-1913 British Phantom Airship Scare (South Humberside: Self published, 1987), 201.

Greenmeadow (near Tongwynlais), Cardiff

8 November 2009 in Cardiff, Globe, Greenmeadow, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Standard, The Times, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Clubmoor, Merseyside

8 November 2009 in Clubmoor, Manchester Guardian, Merseyside, Multiple witness, Night, Standard, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Cardiff, Cardiff

8 November 2009 in Auditory, Cardiff, Cardiff, Daily Herald, Day, Globe, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Norfolk News, Standard, The Times, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Portsmouth, Hampshire

8 November 2009 in Day, England, Flight, Hampshire, Manchester Guardian, Portsmouth, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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 armyâ€™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 armyâ€™s Beta II.

The Times, 4 December 1912, p. 6; Manchester Guardian, 4 December 1912, p. 16; Flight, 7 December 1912, p. 1143.

Sheerness, Kent

8 November 2009 in Auditory, England, Kent, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Public Record Office, Sheerness, The Times, Visual by Brett Holman | 3 comments

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.

Small Heath, West Midlands

8 November 2009 in England, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Norfolk News, Small Heath, Visual, West Midlands by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Pontypool, Torfaen

8 November 2009 in Globe, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Norfolk News, Pontypool, Torfaen, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Cardiff, Cardiff

8 November 2009 in Cardiff, Cardiff, Globe, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Standard, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Cathays, Cardiff

8 November 2009 in Cardiff, Cathays, Manchester Guardian, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

There were unconfirmed rumours of an airship sighting in the Cathays district of Cardiff just before 11pm.

Manchester Guardian, 20 May 1909, p. 7.

Caerphilly Mountain, Cardiff

8 November 2009 in Auditory, Caerphilly Mountain, Cardiff, Globe, Manchester Guardian, Night, Occupants, Physical traces, Single witness, Standard, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Tregare, Monmouthshire

8 November 2009 in Manchester Guardian, Monmouthshire, Multiple witness, Night, Tregare, Visual, Wales by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Eastern North Sea

8 November 2009 in At sea, Globe, Manchester Guardian, Multiple witness, Night, Visual by Brett Holman | No comments

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.

Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

8 November 2009 in Clacton-on-Sea, England, Essex, Globe, Manchester Guardian, Night, Norfolk News, Physical traces, Single witness, Standard, Visual by Brett Holman | 1 comment

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.