Zeppelins over the Black Country: The Midlands’ First Blitz

Abstract

On 24 November 2012, the Express and Star newspaper reported the anonymous installation of a memorial in a Wednesbury cemetery. This commemorates the victims of the Midlands’ first air raid, which occurred on 31 January–1 February 1916, when airships of the Imperial German Navy became the first hostile aircraft to penetrate the area’s airspace. During the First World War, in aviation history’s first strategic bombing campaign, the German airship had a profound effect on the Home Front, demonstrating the devastating consequences of attack from the air. On 31 January 1916, the intended target was Liverpool, but climatic conditions caused the participant airships to disperse across the eastern counties, with Zeppelins L19 and L21 eventually reaching the Midlands, and being responsible for 70 fatalities and 113 casualties. The unprecedented use of airships blurred the distinction between front line and Home Front. After initial disruption and panic, as civilian resolve strengthened, the raids had the opposite effect to that anticipated. Furthermore, introducing the first home defence measures laid foundations crucial for future conflicts. Therefore, the experience of the Midlands’ first blitz played its part, and this latest memorial signifies how it continues to resonate with feeling for the people of the Black Country.