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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Between midnight and 1am, an airship or aeroplane was heard overhead by several residents, including Herbert A. Pertwee (partner of the witness in 1913-05). It passed very quickly and then returned three or four minutes later.
Globe, 22 January 1913, p. 5; Norfolk News, 25 January 1913, p. 10.
Between 2am and 3am, Walter Hack heard engine sounds overhead.
Norfolk News, 25 January 1913, p. 10.
Date uncertain: mid-November. F. W. Boulton and his wife heard a ‘loud whirring, humming noise’ overhead, which gradually receded.
Norfolk News, 25 January 1913, p. 10.
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.
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.
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.
Some Belgian fishermen out of Ostend observed a manoeuvring dirigible.
Norfolk News, 22 May 1909, p. 13.
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.
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.
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.
