Zeppelin weapons rained down on Lincolnshire during First World War German air raids were finding themselves in museums 100 years ago this week.
The Lincolnshire, Boston and Spalding Free Press reported on September 19, 1916 that “some interesting souvenirs” had been added to exhibits in the Lincoln City and County Museum.
Among them were a parachute bomb case, a high explosive bomb, a German hand grenade and three German shell caps.
The parachute bomb was dropped from a German Zeppelin airship and designed to burst at a given height, separating the lethal weapon from the case.
• In other news, many in Spalding were mourning the loss of one of the town’s “promising sons”. Pte Frank Brown (24), of Pennygate, had been an articled clerk at the Holland Insurance Committee, of Red Lion Street for nine years before enlisting.
He was also a prominent and sought-after vocalist, organist and pianist and had taken part in several Spalding Operatic Society performances. Pte Brown (pictured far right), who was also an assistant scoutmaster with Spalding Boy Scouts, had been killed in action on August 26 during the “big push on the Somme”.
The only son of Spalding Urban Council vice chairman Coun JT Brown, he had been serving in the Lewis Gun section of the Middlesex Regiment and had been injured and suffered shell shock when he had heroically stayed by his injured officer while under hours of tornado fire, later dying.
• News was also received of Pte Arthur Slaughter, of Park Road, Spalding, who had been wonded in action in France while serving with the Queen Victoria’s Rifles regiment. Pte Slaughter had landed in England and was en route to a military hospital in Glasgow.