airship

[meeowed 314]

I have a childhood memory when I was only around 4 to 5 years old around 1943 to 45 I had not started school  my sister and I were in town with my father when looking up I saw a gigantic airship like the Hindenberg over what was woolworths now where the broadmarsh centre is  I remember the shadow as it went over us I thought i must have dreamt it but many years later I asked my sister about it and she clearly remembered it also  I have tried for some years to verify this sighting to no avail  I cant believe that airships were still flying in the war years or shortly after  I am now 78 if there are any old codgers out there who have any knowledge of it I would welcome any info thanks  meeowed

[MargieH 7,599]

I was around at that time, but was only a baby/toddler.... I will ask my brother when I see him as he is 7 years older than me

[The Pianoman 1,532]

I vaguely remember my Father speaking of that. He would be 90 now. It was either R100 or R101.

 

We need someone who knows more about airships to come along.

[Jill Sparrow 10,304]

Was not Barnes Wallis involved with the design of the R101. Geodetic design before he turned his attention to the Wellington bomber, etc.

 

It's one for Chulla!

 

Apparently it was R100 which was a Vickers project and thus the brainchild of Barnes Wallis.

 

As an aside, I once worked with a girl whose family had lived best door to Wallis. Although elderly by then, he used to help her with her maths homework!

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

R101 crashed in 1931, (and consequently R100 was abandoned) which doesn't tie in with meeowd's comments about seeing something in 1943-45.

 

 

 

[notty ash 370]

Are you sure it wasn't just a barrage balloon?Airships were totally out of fashion by WW2, largely thanks to a small fire on the Hindenburg in 1937.

[The Pianoman 1,532]

R100 was Barnes Wallis and was successful. R101 was a flop and yes, it crashed. My father would have been a three year old in 1931 but that may well be what he told me about.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Could not have been either of those aircraft as they were both broken up for scrap long before the war. 

 

Air raid balloons were deployed over Nottingham,many of them. I cannot find an accurate number but it must have been in the many dozens if not hundreds. 

[jonab 1,644]

11 hours ago, IAN123. said:

Was there a blimp depot at Loughborough?

One of my very early memories is of barrage balloons/blimps at Wymeswold Aerodrome. My granny lived at Rempstone and the aerodrome was situated on the (what I now know as) the A6006 just west of Wymeswold. This was most likely 1947. There was also an airshow held there which we went to a couple of times in later years (1948 (ish)). I think that predated the Hucknall Airshow which we also went to numerous times - as we lived near there. We didn't actually pay to go into the airfield, we went down Farley's Lane and sneaked in over the fence at the end of the runway.

[meeowed 314]

Thanks for the replies all I recall it looked just like that photo of the r101 it wasnt a barrage balloon it was powered heading north at around 2000 feet it must have passed over the market square  We were both a bit scared of it because of the size of it  I will try and get a more definitive date My sister would have been about ten so she might have more idea it is a puzzle because airships would be long gone by then  meeowed

[jonab 1,644]

There was, of course, the Pirelli/Goodyear airship in the early 1970's which toured the UK (or part of it).

I worked on Gregory Boulevard at the time and remember it being parked/moored on the Forest for several days.

[notty ash 370]

As far as I can find out, only the Americans had airships in WW2. A few were deployed in Gibraltar and Morocco for service in the Mediterranean, but not in the UK

 

https://militaryhistorynow.com/2013/10/23/the-other-silent-service-u-s-navy-airships-of-world-war-two/

 

As airships go, these were not particularly big.

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

^^^^^^^^^ yes the Americans used airships, navy I believe for reconnaissance, there is the mystery of the two officers that vanished from one on a 1942 anti submarine flight over the sea from the San Francisco bay area, do believe it crashed landed in a small town somewhere in California.

 

As you say not big for an airship with a crew of two.

[meeowed 314]

my sister recalls coming out of woolworths around 43/44 I was in the push chair and crowds of people looking up as this airship passed over and the dark shadow it cast it had engines and propellers We dont recall any markings on it but it seemed to be dark grey  I cant believe it was german even they would not have sent an airship over even if they had one  I wonder if the newspaper archives would have anything on it  there ought to be someone alive who saw it by the hundreds of people looking up at it The shape was long pencil shaped just like a zepplin the memory has stayed with me all my life just wish i had asked my father about it  meeowed

[DAVIDW 1,681]

I had a look in the news archives for the 40s and couldn't see anything appropriate .

Mind you if it was anything to do with the military it probably wouldn't have been reported .

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Wonder if it was an American K-series airship made by Good Year as mentioned above . They used them in the States for hunting submarines in the Atlantic and Pacific . 

This video is a K-2 but in the 40s there were reports of a K-39 and K-45 being shot down (not in UK). Maybe one came over for trials ?

 

[letsavagoo 961]

I remember my father coming to meet me at Forest Fields Grammar School. He had been to the same school although it was High Pavement in his day. He stopped me in the playground and told me that he had had stood on the very spot we were and watched the R101 fly over. Obviously not the craft that the original poster saw as the 101 was long gone by then. 

[DAVIDW 1,681]

It may just be a coincidence but the last airship mooring mast that the ill-fated R101 left from , was dismantled in March 1943 at Cardington , Beds. (One of the years mentioned above).

 

Maybe there was some sort of commemorative flight by one of those American craft to mark the occasion ? 

 

[meeowed 314]

I think it could have been part of anti submarine patrol when you think of the alantic convoys but we had sunderlands and catalinas doing that job it was a rigid airship not a blimp I will try shuttleworth collection at Bedford next time I go They may have some records of cardington trials I know they have some airship parts on exhibition  I also remember the blimp that came to the forest sight I had a picture of that  its certainly unusual for the time  Thanks for everyones help will send in if I find the solution  meeowed