Wire from Schutte-Lanz airship SL11

29 mm piece of wire from a German Schutte-Lanz airship. The wire was originally contained in an envelope printed with a red cross and the following text in red ink 'GUARANTEE. / This is a piece of the wire of the first Zeppelin / brought down at CUFFLEY, HERTS. / September 3rd, 1916. / The wire having been given to the British Red / Cross Society by H.M. War Office, it is being / sold to help the wounded at the front. / Price 1/-'.

Wire from a Schutte-Lanz type German airship. Although not a Zeppelin, the Schutte-Lanz airships, like the SL11 were popularly called Zeppelins. Schutte-Lanz airships were wooden framed, while Zeppelins had metal frames. The SL11 was the first German airship to be shot down over England during the First World War. The airship was shot down by Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson, a member of the Royal Flying Corps No. 39 Home Defence Squadron on the night of 2/3 September 1916 and crashed at Cuffley in Middlesex, in full view of London. The entire crew of 16 were killed. For this action Leefe-Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross. In April 1917 he was posted to France, was shot down wounded and taken prisoner. After returning to England, he died in the influenza pandemic on 31 December 1918.

Pieces of airships, especially Zeppelins, were a very popular souvenir in England during the First World War. People travelled long distances to view the crash sites and purchase, or scavenge for, pieces of the wreckages. At the site of the crash of SL11 pieces of the airship, such as this one, were sold by the Red Cross to raise money for wounded soldiers.