大象传媒

In the early hours of Tuesday, 26 September 1916, the sky rained death on the east end of Sheffield. A German Zeppelin dropped 36 bombs in a line between Burngreave through to Attercliffe.

The exact death toll is difficult to establish. One newspaper headline reads 鈥淭wenty Nine Deaths: No Munitions Works Damage鈥�. Reports on the inquest don鈥檛 name the dead but put the number at 28.

Newspaper coverage was heavily censored and referred only to a north midlands town. The authorities were reluctant for Germany to have confirmation that Sheffield had been hit.

The bombs demolished nine houses and a chapel and damaged 62 homes although munitions factories nearby escaped unscathed. The devastation and loss of life led to criticism of the city's defences.

Survivors spoke of the terror of that night, of hiding on waste ground and watching homes being destroyed and even a beloved pet dog perishing in the attack. Their accounts were recorded by staff from the Sheffield Archive in 1981.

Location: Site of where the first bomb fell - Cossey Road, Sheffield, S4 7PY
Image shows damage from the Zeppelin raid, courtesy of Western Park Museum
Presented by Kate Linderholm

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