The Potters Bar Zeppelin
L31 Zeppelin | The Final Journey

1st October 1916, the stroke of midnight would mark what was probably the most significant moment of World War 1 for the inhabitants of Potters Bar.

The first day of October. This was the day Kapitan Heinrich Mathy had stated in a letter sent to the New York Times, that he would "smash London". Mathy was a German "ace", under his command Zeppelins had talleyed a death toll way above that of any other airship, causing structural damage running into millions of pounds. With this record, it is understandable why Mathy would have such an "ace" reputation amongst his own.

On the afternoon of October 1st a telephone ring at Hornchurch aerodrome would be the start of this most significant day. Hornchurch was base to No. 39 Home Defence Squadran; Second-Lieutenant Wulstan J Tempest was part of this squadron.

Tempest was eager to fly, he had read the letter by Mathy sent to the New York Times in September. The letter that was "audacious and vainglorious", Mathys threat to "smash London on the first day of October" had not been well received. For Tempest this was personal, England was his home, the "ace" had to be stopped.

Tempest was not alone on his patrol of the skies above London. Leefe Robinson, Fred Sowrey, Durston and Stamers, all of the same squadron, were all next on the list to fly. Robinson had been the one who had shot down a Zeppelin exactly one month prior in Cuffley; Sowrey also had a Zeppelin shot to his name.

The five pilots had strict orders that day, they all had allocated beats high above the outskirts of London, and the City itself. The news that Tempest's beat, one of only a few miles between his own station and another known as Joyce Green was not welcomed. Not only was his beat limited to just a few miles, he was also under instructions to

The Zeppelins were coming! Eleven in total were tracked approaching from the North Sea and luck was not on the Germans side. Poor weather in this area caused problems for the Zeppelins. High winds blew several off course and the chilling temperatures meant that several were slowed by the ice forming on their canopies. But this did not deter Mathy, his sole "Super Zeppelin" continued south towards London, towards his destiny. Mathy continued on a course of Southwest passing Stowmarket to his right and Ipswich his left. Onward it went, passing between Braintree and Chelmsford onward to Kelvedon Hatch where at 2145 hours it was caught in a single searchlight. This single beam of light forced the Zeppelin to change its course northwards fearing heavy fire from the ground if it stayed within the beams.

With several "Zeppelin victims" in the month of September 1916 only a fool would think he was invincible, Mathy was no fool. A diary entry by Mathy shortly before his final flight reads "It is only a question of time before we join the rest. Everyone admits that they feel it. If anyone should say that he was not haunted by visions of burning airships, then he would be a braggart". These words must have been going through his mind as the searchlight followed his progress high above England. Clinging on to the scarf that his wife had

The Zeppelin had changed its course Northwest, passing over Harlow onwards to Buntingford, changing course southwest just prior to the village. Passing between Knebworth and Welwyn it changed course once more towards the East, towards Hertford and Ware. Turning course Southwards it

Tempest, still on patrol had seen the searchlights, he had seen the Zeppelin in its beams; this was it, this was to be his hour!

As he closed the gap he knew what he had to do, he couldn't let Mathy carry out his threat he had made days earlier. Tempest reached the "cigar shaped object", it had taken thirty minutes from first spotting the ship to finally being within shooting range of it. As he positioned himself to its rear he fired, the red glow from the hull told Tempest, and all those spectators on the ground that he had found his target. The Zeppelin began its unplanned decent, Potters Bar was blissfully unaware of the events that were about to unfold in their village.

The residents of Potters Bar had gathered in the streets, many still in their nightclothes, to watch the cigar shaped ball of flames descent to earth. Closer it fell, within minutes the people of Potters Bar knew where it would fall; Too late to do anything about it. All they could do was wait and pray, prey that god would spare this small hamlet. At that time Potters Bar was no more than a village which consisted of around 1000 inhabitants (this included the surrounding areas of Ganwick Corner and Bentley Heath). Many areas now populated by houses and buildings were open land at that time. Would the cruel twist of fate force the Zeppelin directly onto the most populated area of Potters Bar at the north end of the High

As the villagers looked skyward one can only imagine what they were thinking. How could Potters Bar, this small insignificant village be a scene of such devastation? These very people were no doubt looking skyward exactly one month prior on September 2nd as the SL11 Zeppelin crashed at Cuffley. They must have breathed a sign of relief as the SL11 fell two miles northeast. Now the residents of Cuffley were the ones who could breath a sigh of relief, whilst those at Potters Bar awaited its fate.

Whilst hurtling towards earth an explosion detached the main gondola from the hull. These two parts fell into two 'enormous heaps, separated from each other by about a hundred yards'

The Zeppelin crossed Cotton Road from the North-East at no more than thirty feet in height and onwards towards the Oakmere Estate. Eye witnesses from Potters Bar told of how "a gust of wind" had carried the Zeppelin some thirty yards further on to the open space of Oakmere farm and parks. The main wreckage fell near to an oak tree in the fields of Oakmere Farm, this is marked out by the now private road Wulstan Park. This area, in 1916, was part of the Oakmere Estate and Oakmere House which still stands as an Out and Out Restaurant and Bar in the High Street. What was left of the nose section fell on an Oak Tree, which grew at the junction of what is now Tempest Avenue and Wulstan Park. The Oak Tree would from this moment on be known as "The Zeppelin Oak".

The Barnet Fire engine arrived on scene at approximately 0015 hours; upon arrival in Oakmere Lane it became stuck in the mud, as at the time the lane was nothing more than a mud track leading to Oakmere Farm. Water was collected from the lakes at Oakmere and passed along in a chain to try and extinguish the fire; needless to say it had little effect on the massive burning wreckage. New Barnet and Enfield Brigade were soon at the scene in support of the Barnet Engine. Ambulance personnel arrived at the scene but little could be done for the twenty crew of the L31 Zeppelin, they were all dead. The gust of wind had ensured that no Potters Bar residents were killed by the crash.

The twenty crew mans bodies lay strewn across the Oakmere farm fields, some were burnt beyond recognition, others had no burns at all. Eyewitnesses reported crew jumping out of the Zeppelin prior to it crashing explaining the absence of any burn marks. Some bodies were wrapped in blankets, presumably an attempt by the crew to prevent burns when jumping from the wreckage. One of these bodies was identified as Mathy. He was one of the jumpers, his impact causing an imprint of just his head and shoulders in the ground. Eyewitnesses said that he had not a scratch on him; he was an "ace" even in death! Tempests mission was complete.

Huge numbers of people swarmed into Potters Bar from all directions. People travelled for miles on foot, train, motorcar, bus or any other way they could to get a closer view of the burning wreckage, to see the "baby-killers". The farmer of Oakmere Farm charged a shilling a head to allow visitors onto his land in the days following the crash.

War Office personnel were soon on scene setting up cordons to prevent pilgrims pilfering parts of the L31 Zeppelin as they had done once month prior in Cuffley. The village was pretty much closed off to everyone visiting by the early hours of the 2nd October 1916. This did not however

The bodies of the German aircrew were buried at Mutton lane Cemetery alongside their comrades from the Cuffley crash on October 5th 1916. Almost half a century later, in September 1962, the bodies were exhumed by the German War Graves Commission and 46 years after their dramatic entrance, they made their final journey out of the village. They now lie in rest at the Cannock Chase German War Grave Cemetery in Staffordshire.

What became of the Zeppelin Oak?

The Zeppelin Oak remained a memorial for the downed Zeppelin for many years after the crash. Amazingly one half of the tree continued to grow green leaves every year. Services were held at its roots on the anniversary of the crash, this continued for several years. The field in which it stood remained as such until the 1930's when the town was expanded and the lower section of Oakmere was earmarked for housing.

The Zeppelin Oak was left alone and for a few years continued to grow in the front garden of number 9 Tempest Avenue. Following complaints from the neighbour at number 7, who was worried the rotting tree would fall and injure his four children, the tree was cut down by Mr Bill Crawley. Unfortunately the date is not know but it is thought to be after 1938. Mr Crawley stated years later that he had terrible difficulty cutting the tree down, he remembers the trunk was full of metal. All of which he threw away!

Numbers 9 and 11 Tempest Avenue no longer exist, the entrance to Wulstan Park now occupies the land where these two houses once stood. The street sign "Wulstan Park" to the right of the entrance of the private road, is believed to mark the exact spot where the Zeppelin Oak once stood.

1st October 2006 marks the ninetieth anniversary of the Zeppelin crash at Potters Bar. Today the road names Tempest Avenue and Wulstan Park serve as the only physical reminders of the events that took place at Potters Bar on that "cold and clammy evening" on the first day of October 1916.

References
Wikipedia
The Potters Bar Zeppelin - Potters Bar Historical Society
How I Shot Down The L31 Zeppelin - Wulstan Tempest
BBC 2 Website
Barnet Press
Decisions at Potters Bar (Burn or Jump) by Tom Morgan

Click Here to purchase booklets on the Potters Bar Zeppelin published by the Potters Bar Historical Society