Fragment of metal from Zeppelin L31 : Mr C G Wade, Agent General London

Piece of duraluminium (an aluminium alloy) framework form a German Zeppelin. The piece has a hole drilled in one end.

Piece of metal from the L31, the first Zeppelin shot down over London, given to Sir Charles Wade while he was living in London. Charles Gregory Wade was born at Singleton, New South Wales on 26 January 1863 and was educated at All Saints College Bathurst, NSW, The King's School Parramatta, NSW and Merton College Oxford, England. He was called to the bar in 1886 and worked as a barrister in England, and later in Australia. Wade entered state politics in 1903 and became premier of New South Wales between 1907 and 1910. During the First World War he travelled to America and the United Kingdom and in 1917 was appointed Agent General in London. He was twice knighted, in 1918 and in 1920. Sir Charles Wade died on 26 September 1922 at Potts Point in Sydney, NSW.

The L31 was shot down on 1 October 1916 by Second Lieutenant Wulstan Tempest, 39 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. The crew were all killed, either by jumping from the flaming Zeppelin or burning to death. They were originally buried at Potters Bar, where the Zeppelin had been shot down, but their remains were moved to Cannock Chase in Staffordshire in the 1960s. 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 were sold by the Red Cross to raise money for wounded soldiers. The souvenirs proved so popular to visitors of the site, at Cuffley, that the Red Cross ran out of pieces of the SL11 and began selling pieces of the L31. While some parts remained as they were found, other pieces of airships were turned items such as of jewellery and other small souvenirs.