Editorial

No sooner do you finish putting Newsletter No. 19 together, when you have to start thinking about the next one. Our aim is to produce four issues per year in April, July, October and January. Hopefully you will find plenty of interest in this edition. With the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War there are a number of articles on this period of our history.

Three of our members, Richard Brady, Bill White and Trevor Roberts, spoke at our AGM in March of their reminiscences and these are included for you to read.

At our meeting in April, Dr Peter Kennison spoke on Zeppelins Over Essex. He introduced his subject by giving us a potted history of the development of airships. In 1900 Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin at the age of 62, built his first airship. By the start of World War I he convinced the Kaiser that his invention could be used to bomb England and he was given permission to build them for the army and the navy, on the understanding that they were not to be used to bomb his cousin the King of England and Buckingham Palace was definitely off limits.

Many civilians were killed in this country during the bombing raids, but gradually the Royal Flying Corp came to terms with this new weapon of terror. On September 3rd 1916 one was brought down at Cuffley, Hertfordshire by Lt. Leefe Robinson, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroic action.

On the 24th September 1916 two more zeppelins were brought down in Essex, one at Great Burstead, near Billericay with the death of all 22 crew members and another at Little Wigborough, near Colchester, the crew of which marched themselves into captivity.

In June a number of members visited Fyfield Mill and also St Nicholas's church, where they were shown around by Marcus Dain. A short description of St Nicholas's is included in the newsletter.

I am again grateful to Phil Reeves for allowing us to use material from his website on Lambourne End [www.oldlambourne.co.uk].

Currently your committee are planning a series of talks for the autumn and winter which you will hopefully find interesting and we hope you will continue to support the group.

If you have any ideas for talks or outings then let the committee know.