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From: "Colleen" <>
Subject: Zeppelina Clarke & the Zeppelin - Abbotts Hall, Wigborough
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2002 22:13:25 +0100


23rd September 1916. Dr Salter's Diary records:

'...my servants rapped me up in the early part of the night saying ... there
was a Zeppelin on fire in the Sou'-west...I jumped out of bed, looked out of
my sou west window, and there I saw, in the distance, in the direction of
London, a big burning globe in the sky, which on watching it a little while,
disappeared like a big rocket of falling stars.'

It turned out to be the first of two Zeppelins which fell that night. Dr
Salter is later woken again to go and deliver a daughter to the wife of
'Clarke of Abbotts Hall, Wigborough'. Hardly out of bed, Dr Salter is told
by Trim, chief constable at Mersea that he must forget that and go and
attend to farmer Wright who, spooked by the sight of the second Zeppelin
crash, had been badly smashed in a motor bike accident. Salter passes the
second Zeppelin, lying in a massive, crumpled heap like 'burning Crystal
Palace' in fields at New Hall Farm, Wigborough. He recalls that three of the
Zeppelin crew who survived the crash, walked into Peldon and brazenly asked
constable Edgar Nicholas for directions to Colchester. The constable
promptly arrested them!

Little Wigborough church was presented with a piece of the Zeppelin, which
is still displayed above it's tower arch, Gt Wigborough church has a
contemporary newspaper article, framed in a piece of the Zeppelin too also
photos of the crash and other material. The book, 'Around Maldon' has a
contemporary drawing of the crew being apprehended by what appears to be
every man, woman and child in Wigborough - though contemporary accounts say
it was all down to 6-7 special constables from the village. 'Around Maldon'
also has a photo of these constables having a well earned pint outside a
Wigborough beerhouse. Who were they? They apparently received commemorative
watches (Around Maldon has a photo of Nicholas's) - were they also decorated
for bravery?

Are there listers researching any of the above and can anyone throw any
light on the following? The pilot of Zeppelin L33, was Loys Bocker - was he
one of the three that survived the crash? Does any one know what happened
to the surviving Zeppelin crew?

Dr Salter records that he suggested that the Clarke baby, a girl, should be
called Zeppelina. Was she?

Best wishes,

Colleen



The churches of Gt and Little Wigborough

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