Airship disaster centenary: Items wanted for archive
TRAGIC: Members of the British crew of the doomed airship. Image courtesy of D Howlett
People are being invited to help commemorate the centenary of one of the region’s worst air disasters by sharing family stories, photographs, documents and memorabilia for a new online collection.
Airship R.38/ZR-2 was on a test flight on August 24, 1921, when it exploded and crashed into the River Humber in front of thousands of horrified onlookers in Hull, killing 44 of its 49 crew.
It was due to fly to Pulham in Norfolk ahead of its final handover to the US Navy, but the weather prompted a return to Howden and some last checks of its steering caused the light structure of the aircraft to break apart, resulting in catastrophe.
Twenty-eight of the 32 British crew on board died along with 17 of the 18 US personnel.
To commemorate the tragedy, Historic England has commissioned a project led by heritage consultancy Fjordr to create a virtual collection of material.
Image courtesy of D Howlett
Anyone with stories, documents, photographs or memorabilia relating to the crash is invited to submit them so they can be recorded and photographed for the online collection. They are not being asked to donate them.
Antony Firth, director of Fjordr, said: “I first became fascinated with the crash after hearing about it from my grandfather. He witnessed the disaster first hand when he was a young boy living in Hull.
“We want to hear from people who have been told similar stories by relatives or who might have souvenirs of the crash. We know that a range of objects were made from the wreckage including candlesticks and ashtrays. I can’t wait to see what people come forward with.”
Keith Emerick of Historic England said: “Like the Titanic, the R.38/ZR-2 was the most advanced of its kind at the time. It was larger, faster and could fly higher than any of its predecessors.
Image courtesy of D Howlett
“The airship was about to be sold to the US and was only on its fourth test flight when it crashed, carrying both British and American personnel. The crash was a personal tragedy for the crew, their families, and had huge ramifications for the future of aviation.
“This project offers a great opportunity for people to recount family stories about this historic event.”
The rescue of survivors, recovery of casualties, and the salvage of the wreck were centred on Hull, with public funerals and memorial services also taking place in and around the city. Several of the crew lie in Hull’s Western Cemetery beneath the Grade II listed airship memorial commemorating all who died.
“The catastrophe that unfolded in front of the people of Hull had a huge impact not only here but around the world,” said Liz Shepherd, Chair of Carnegie Heritage Centre. “Our volunteers are really pleased to be able to help piece together the stories of R.38/ZR-2 in time for the centenary in August.”
The memorial in Hull’s Western Cemetery. Image courtesy of Fjordr Ltd
The Humber was a focal point for airships in the early 20th century.
During the First World War, Hull was repeatedly a target of German zeppelins raiding across the North Sea.
The R38/ZR-2 was built at Cardington in Bedfordshire but was based at Howden to complete its test flights.
Lessons learned from the accident contributed to the design of the R-100 built at Howden later in the 1920s. But successes in the use of airships were overshadowed by other catastrophes around the world.
To contribute email carnegiehull@hotmail.co.uk, or send a message via Facebook to @carnegiehull44.