Lot 407 , Louis Whirter (1873-1932), etching, L33 - Sept 23rd 1916, signed in pencil, 47 x 51cm.

Louis Whirter (1873-1932), etching, L33 - Sept 23rd 1916, signed in pencil, 47 x 51cm.
Estimate £100-200

The burnt-out hull of Zeppelin L33 in a field near Brentford, Essex. Having bombed Bromley & Bow, East London, it was attacked by a squadron of night fighters that caused enough damage for the commander, Kapitan-Leutnant Alois Bocker, to make a forced landing rather than attempt the return across the North Sea. Landing at Little Wigborough, 6 miles from Colchester, with no fatalities, the crew set fire to the hull, then surrendered to a single special constable! It is said that these were the only armed German personnel to set foot in England during the war. Enough remained of the zeppelin to help British engineers design the R33 airship.


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Sold for £110