Fragment of metal from Zeppelin L32 or L33 with certificate : Essex, 24 September 1916

Damaged piece of duraluminium (an aluminium alloy) from a Zeppelin attached to a certificate by a piece of wire. At the top of the certificate are several Allied flags, beneath which is printed in blue ink 'PORTION OF FRAMEWORK OF / ZEPPELIN'. The piece of metal is attached underneath this text. One side of the metal is printed 'BROUGHT / DOWN IN / ESSEX' and on the other side 'BY THE AIRCRAFT DEFENCES / SEPT.23/24 1916.' , also in blue ink. Beneath the metal is printed 'Sold for the benefit of the L.& N.W.R. War Seal Fund.'

The Zeppelin L32 was the first genuine German Zeppelin shot down over England during the First World War, early on the morning of 23 September 1916. A few weeks earlier, on 3 September, the first German airship had been shot down over London, the Schutte-Lanz SL11 (although it was not a Zeppelin, it was commonly referred to as one). L32 was shot down by Second Lieutenant Frederick Sowrey and crashed in flames at Great Burstead, near Billericay in Essex. All 22 members of the crew of were killed. Most died due to the flames, but some, including the airship's commander, Werner Peterson, chose to jump to their deaths. The crew was initially buried at Great Burstead until their remains were moved, together with those of the crews of SL11, L31 and L48, to be reinterred at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery in Staffordshire in the 1960s. Minutes after the L32 crashed, the Zeppelin L33 crash landed at New Hall Farm, Little Wigborough, also in Essex. The crew of L33 survived and became prisoners of war. Pieces of airships, especially Zeppelins, were a very popular souvenir in England. People travelled considerable distances to view the crash sites and purchase, or scavenge for pieces of the wreckage. Pieces of airship wrecks were sold to raise money for the war effort or war related charities.