meeowed 314 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,600 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Pianoman 1,535 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 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! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 R101 crashed in 1931, (and consequently R100 was abandoned) which doesn't tie in with meeowd's comments about seeing something in 1943-45. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
notty ash 371 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Pianoman 1,535 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mercurydancer 1,104 Posted May 22, 2018 Report Share Posted May 22, 2018 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. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
meeowed 314 Posted May 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
notty ash 371 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 23, 2018 Report Share Posted May 23, 2018 ^^^^^^^^^ 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
meeowed 314 Posted May 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,683 Posted May 24, 2018 Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 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 . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,683 Posted May 24, 2018 Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 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 ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 963 Posted May 24, 2018 Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,683 Posted May 24, 2018 Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 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 ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
meeowed 314 Posted May 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2018 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 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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