Fragment of metal from Zeppelin L31

Small piece of duraluminium (an aluminium alloy) framework from a German Zeppelin.

This piece of duraluminium came from the Zeppelin L31, shot down over Potter's Bar, London on 1 October 1916 by Second Lieutenant Wulstan Tempest, 39 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. The crew of L31 were all killed, either by jumping from the flaming Zeppelin or burning to death. They were originally buried at Potters Bar, where they 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 the Schutte-Lanz type German airship SL11 (the first German airship shot down over England) at Cuffley, pieces of the SL11 were sold by the Red Cross to raise money for wounded soldiers. The souvenirs proved so popular 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 jewellery or other small souvenirs.