Newspaper

APRIL 1st 1916
THE ZEPPELIN ATTACK ON SUNDERLAND

Sunderland had only one Zeppelin attack and for the first time it is now possible to give an uncensored account of it. It was a very serious one and in it sixteen persons were killed outright, twenty five were seriously injured, four dying later, and eighty persons were slightly injured. The attack took place on Saturday night, April 1st 1916, and only one Zeppelin took part in it. This machine crossed the coast just below Seaham Harbour and proceeding inland a few miles dropped bombs at Hetton Downs, Eppleton, and Philadelphia. These were evidently aimed at works in those vicinities, but no damage of any consequence was done and no casualties resulted. The machine then came onto Sunderland, which it reached a few minutes after 11 p.m., the explosions at the villages named, had been heard by many in the town; and consequently people were on the lookout.

It was a clear and starry night, and when the Zeppelin was first seen over the west end of the town it was at a height estimated at approximately at about 7,000 feet. It crossed the town in a north easterly direction, its passage occupying from four to five minutes, and during that time it dropped 14 explosives and seven incendiary bombs.

The first bomb fell in back Peacock Street, at the west end of the town but did not explode, and others dropped in Pickard Street, Milburn Street and Fern Street. After this the machine crossed the River Weir, where the streams bends to the South, and arriving over Monkwearmouth threw bombs into to Monkwearmouth Goods Yard, into North Bridge Street, The Causeway, Victor Street and the shipyard of Messrs John Blumer and Company. The greatest amount of damage was done in Fern Street, Victor Street and North Bridge Street. The bomb which fell in North Bridge Street was responsible for more victims than any other single bomb that was dropped, and by it five people were either killed outright, or died for their injuries within a day or two. One of the victims was a Mr Thomas Shepherd Dale, a borough magistrate, and leader of the local Labour Party, who was a group leader engaged in Special Constable duty at the time.

In another case a man was walking along the street with two of his daughters, one on each arm, while just in front of him his wife was walking accompanied by two other women. One of the daughters, when the bomb exploded, was hurled through a plate glass window and killed. The other women of the party were injured, but the man was not touched. A tramway employee here had a narrow escape as he and an Inspector took refuge against a wall, the Inspector being the one nearest the wall, when a piece of shrapnel flew over the other man’s shoulder and went through the heart of the Inspector. Very extensive damage was done in this vicinity to property etc, while a tramcar, which was stationary in the street, was wrecked.

The other two districts in which there were large numbers of casualties were that of Millfield and Victor Street, Monkwearmouth. At a shop in this latter street an explosion of a bomb killed three people. Two of them were brothers, who carried on a shop, and they and a girl, who was a customer at the time, were found dead lying in the debris. In this vicinity, a man was carrying his family downstairs and as he was bringing the last one down, and was being followed by his son, the upper part of the house was struck and wrecked, and the boy was killed. The father and the other children escaped.

Many miraculous escapes were recorded, the majority being due to the presence of mind persons, who threw themselves flat on the ground when they saw the flash which accompanies the dropping of the bomb, and by so doing escaped the flying fragments of glass and metal. In several cases a house was practically blown to pieces by a bomb, and yet all those inside escaped unhurt. It was shown at the inquest which was held on the victims that in the majority of cases death was due to wounds in the body caused by pieces of flying glass, and for this reason it was pointed out that it was safer for people to remain indoors in case of an attack than to go outside, although actually in this raid there were more people killed indoors than outdoors, owing to the fact that the bombs had been dropped in densely populated localities.

The chief buildings damaged were the Workmen’s Hall, Monkwearmouth, which was practically demolished; the Thomas Street Council Schools; St. Benet’s R.C. Church, which was partly demolished, the damage including the destruction of a valuable stained glass memorial window; the Thompson Memorial Hall, Dundas Street, which had windows broken; and the Corporation Tramway sheds. Apart from these eight business premises were demolished and two partly demolished fifteen dwelling houses demolished and sixty six partly so, and one hundred and fifty eight houses and sixty four shops had windows blown in and other minor damage. The damage was chiefly confined to houses inhabited by working class people, who in many instances had all or part of their furniture destroyed or damaged.

There were four outbreaks of fire in connection with the raid, but three of them were quite trivial, and were extinguished by people in the vicinity, while the fourth was at Messrs John Blumer and Company Shipyard, where a French polishing shop was on fire and burnt down. At this yard a ship in course of construction was damaged. The damage down to this shipyard was the only instance were any industrial work suffered, or any damage was done which might be considered of value from and enemy point of view.

Two shots were fired at the Zeppelin from guns in the neighbourhood, but it was not hit, and it was stated that some hitch occurred which prevented anything further being done. The following is a list of those who lost their lives in the attack:-
Thomas Shepherd Dale (55), 83, Forster Street, Monkwearmouth
Thomas Rogerson (55) 12, Brandling Street (grocer)
George Holmes Rogerson (53) 12, Brandling Street (grocer)
John Glasgow (17) 65, Victor Street
Florence May Johnson (17) 57 Victor Street
Jos[eph] Thompson (46) 29 Roxburgh Street
Henry Patrick (16) 12 Eden Street North
Gertrude Patrick (19) 12 Eden Street North
Alfred Finkle (39) 32 Dame Dorothy Street
Herbert Archibald Chator (47) 341 Victor Street
Elizabeth Weldon (67) 3 The Causeway
Elizabeth Ann Ranson (5) 3 The Causeway
Alfred Wood Dunlop (17) 6 Howick Street
Ernest Liddle Johnstone (31) 12 Fern Street
John Joseph Woodward (35) 11 Fern Street
Elizabeth Jane Thirkell (16) 12 Burlington Road
John Thomas Lydon (14) 21 Fern Street
Hannah Lydon (33) 21 Fern Street
Henry Dean (28) 16 Derwent Street
Robert Garbutt Fletcher (68) 2 North Bridge Street
In addition a number of deaths occurred which were recorded as due more or less from shock arising from the raid.

On several other occasions later Zeppelins were reported within a comparatively short distance of the town, and every preparation was made in expectation of an attack, which fortunately never occurred.

Date: 23-Dec-1918

Where to find this: Sunderland City Library – Local Studies Centre

Contributed by Simon W | Judith and Jackie