Zeppelin L31

A very rare section of Zeppelin L31 frame, with original tag reading: 'Part Of Zeppelin Shot Down - Oct 1916'  The crash site was at Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England.

The piece of frame is untouched and measures 6" x 2"  (15cm x 4cm)

The L31 was one of eleven ships that were on course for the U.K and was the only zeppelin to reach it's target. Various ships were blown far off course, others suffered from horrendous ice build up. Capt Heinrich Mathy heroically navigated his ship over London, but searchlights soon illuminated it. Mathy uncharacteristically changed course and slowly flew west, dropping all bombs and unwanted weight over Cheshunt.

Unknown to Capt Mathy a young RFC pilot, Sec Lieutenant Wulston J Tempest had just taken off for a two hour patrol. Tempest, piloting his BE2c, soon spotted the large airship some miles away illuminated by searchlights over outer London/Herts. Tempest headed for the Zeppelin - on closing with it he dived and fired from his basic machine gun.

He fired another burst into the underside as he flew below. Now, low on ammunition, he turned and shot a final burst into the tail of the airship. Almost immediately the vast airbag ignited and he spiral dived away to avoid being engulfed by the explosion. He later likened it to " A Giant chinese Lantern". 

Tempest just made it back to his R.F.C. unit - almost crashing.

L31 finally grounded over fields, and famously, a large amount of flaming wreckage came to rest on an oak tree.

                                    Zeppelin L31 "Oak tree" Wreckage

  This section of Zeppelin frame is very rare.