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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0398.PDF
ZEPPELIN BOMBS BOOM ! It was five minutes to eleven on evening last, and I had just lain down in bed with that comfortable feeling fostered by the idea, which too many of us axe inclined to assume, that the war is a long way off. My first thought was that somebody had closed their front door rather noisily, and I was only half interested. But I turned on my back to liberate both ears. Boom! boom ! boom! came in quick succession. This time I sat up in bed with a start. Instantly I realised what it meant. London was being bombarded, and war had been brought home to my very door. In an indistinct sort of way I had an impression of surprise and annoyance. I had a Britisher's deep-rooted objection to being fetched out of bed once I had retired for the night, and in addition, perhaps, I share with others the foolish half-thought that not being in service uniform this war is none of my business. Therefore the fact that it was, was now brought home to me in the best possible manner, though with somewhat of a shock. To flatter oneself that the war is a long way off is comfortable, but is a fool's paradise. The idea that our wars are all far away troubles is a germ which was planted hundreds of years ago. It has since been carefully nurtured and handed down through the generations, until the Britisher of the present day can hardly bring himself to believe that he would ever lie in his bed in London within sound of the guns of the enemy. All our wars hitherto have been a long way off, but that was before aviation had come to alter things. And we do not take readily to new conditions. What we know of war, we phlegmatic Britishers, is the sending out of troops. We have seen the troops marching through the streets. It has been an incident, and rather interesting to watch them entrain at Victoria or Waterloo, and in the mornings we have sat comfortably in our corner of the carriage and whiled away the time by reading the latest news from the front, but the war has always been a long way off, something not really our business, though something in which we were interested. We knew, in a way—a Censor sort of way—that somewhere " out there " battles were raging. But we quite expected them to fight it out between themselves, and not trouble us w'ith their affairs. We expected our troops to be victorious as usual, and we were quite prepared to turn out in our thousands to give them a rousing welcome home, but that seemed to be really all that could be expected of us. Boom ! much nearer. I was out of bed and into some clothing in double quick time, and had my face glued to the window. I could see the flashes as the bombs reached earth, and they seemed to be all around me. Bang! crash ! Just across a piece of ground where the boys generally play cricket. Somebody's hen-roost took unto itself wings, and the thought flashed through my mind I was glad I killed my hens off at Christmas. I had no feeling of fear, or that I wanted to get away from it. It was ® ® Air Raid Precautions at London Hospital. IN the report of the House Committee of the London Hospital, presented at the quarterly meeting of the Governors on Wednesday last, there was the following reference to the precautions taken against aircraft raids :— " With regard to the raid by Zeppelins or aircraft, the German and British Governments had agreed upon a protective sign for churches, museums, hospitals, &c. This sign, which consists of a square divided diagonally with black and white, has been painted on the roof of the Hospital. Special instructions had been issued to DISTURB "THE DREAMER." Monday just excitement, and if the Huns think that their Zep pelin raids will create a panic and cause us to think of peace at any price, they are doomed to be disappointed. The order to keep all windows closed did not appeal to me in the least, and I opened mine to the fullest extent. I could see nothing of the raiders, but my ear, trained to the hum of the aero engine, could distinctly detect the different sound of the Maybach power plant, though it seemed at a great altitude. Much lower, the familiar whirr told me that one of our aeroplanes was passing overhead, although I could not see it, and I wondered what sort of a landing the pilot would make when he returned, and whether we had given sufficient attention to the proper illuminating of our aerodromes in this respect. Back and front of my house the bombs were now dropping, though much further away than before. After eleven-fifteen I heard no more, and returned to bed, having counted, roughly, about fifty. At one-twenty I heard the returning aeroplane, and then dropped off to sleep to dream that I was out in the street dodging bombs which were being hurled at me from all directions. I felt that this had been only a " feeler," and made up my mind that the following night would see a repeti tion in force. I went to bed prepared accordingly to jump out at the very first sound, but, strange to say, I went to sleep and forgot all about it, waking in broad daylight with a feeling of disappointment, and a wonder as to whether I had missed the fun. There had been nothing doing, however, though there will be, without a question. But unless a bomb happens to crash through the roof of my own " Desirable Semi detached Residence, with all the usual offices," as the estate agent would put it, I don't think I shall trouble very much about it, and if it should choose my particular roof to land upon, I shall probably not be in a position to trouble, so what does it matter ? What does matter, however, is that the young blood of England should realise that this war is not a long way off, that it is here, and that they are wanted to help to keep these German fiends from killing and injuring women and children. And, further, I think if the aged Count will only continue to send his gasbags over, he will help recruiting more than anything we could do. There is nothing like an object-lesson to instil a point. Londoners have had one, and without doubt we shall have others. It is difficult to do much with them when they are here, sailing over at ten thousand feet, in the night. The thing to do is to go out there, and dig them out by the roots. Numbers can do it, and numbers only. When we have had a few more of these raids, when the object-lesson has been pushed well home, the entire remaining man hood of England will, perhaps, rise in their might, with grit teeth, as is their wont, and smite them hip and thigh. The danger is in the waiting, and there only. Then why wait ? ® ® the sisters and nurses in the event of bombs being dropped in the vicinity of the Hospital. As it is possible that bombs may emit poisonous gases, stress has been laid on the necessity of shutting all basement and ground floor windows, since the gas used would undoubtedly be heavy and would not rise far from the ground. Certain experiments have also been made with regard to the ex tinguishing of fires caused by incendiary bombs. These bombs undoubtedly consist largely of phosphorus dis solved in carbon bi-sulphide, for the extinguishing of which water is more satisfactory than sand." 398
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