There was only one occasion when an Airship was flown under a bridge, that happened a century ago in North Wales. This was, of course, a Zero based on Anglesey, the photograph (below) of which was the instigator of this project.
The RAF station at Anglesey at the end of WW1 was a base for SSZ blimps - three-seat submarine scouts, tiny compared to a Zeppelin but still 143 feet long and 47 feet from the keel of the car to the top of the envelope.
At the armistice night party, the senior Naval Officer, Captain Gordon Campbell VC challenged the RAF CO, Major Tommy Elmhirst to fly a blimp under the Menai Bridge. Elmhirst said he would if Campbell came along as the observer. The next day he measured the height of the bridge above the water at low tide by letting down a rope from the parapet and found that an SSZ would have four feet of clearance. On the next day that the weather and tides permitted, November 14th Elmhirst, the pilot, set out in SSZ 31 carrying Campbell as a passenger and the South African Captain BJ Beeton as the engineer, and on approaching the bridge let down a rope exactly two feet under the car with a sandbag on the end. When the sandbag bounced along the surface he knew that he had two feet of clearance above the airship - of course, he couldn't see the bridge above as the envelope was in the way. In this way, they passed through successfully. Travelling slowly was not an option; he needed at least 40 mph to have enough airflow over the elevator to control the craft.
There are a few accounts of this remarkable flight published, all of them refer to the Zero flown as being SSZ 73 (1) and some offer other names as to those involved. (2). However, Campbell makes an account in his memoirs 'Life of a Q-ship Captain'(3)
During the War, I had been up with Major Elmhurst in one of his blimps. I had finished up by flying under the Menai Bridge. He was boasting about this feat after dinner and pulling Elmhurst's leg that he couldn't fly under the Menai Bridge in one of his rotten airships.
Elmhurst accepted the challenge, and the following day came to me for special permission to fly under the Menai Bridge. He showed me the plan, and how he would have four feet spare, two above the ship and two below. It struck me as rather a foolhardy stunt, but the Armistice spirit was on us, and I agreed, provisionally on my being one of the crew, as I thought it too risky a stunt to approve without going myself.
So three of us started off in the blimp. We had a lead line carefully measured, and as long as the lead was just touching the water, we knew we were clear above. Elmhurst made a dummy run approach to try out the lead line, and then we made the final attack; and much to the consternation of hundreds of witnesses, we flew clean under the Menai Bridge. I think I was as much surprised as anyone when we got through-but it was undoubtedly a very fine feat on the part of Elmhurst, though possibly a stupid one, for which I was responsible.
He was so excited at having got through, that he put his helm hard over and nearly hit the people who were standing on the bridge. An account of this incident appeared in the Press the following day, and I quite expected a rap over the knuckles, but at that time the Air Force and Navy were somewhat mixed up, and perhaps no one knew who was responsible.
Elmhirst (above) and Campell (centre), with Beeton's medals (4) as sold at a recent auction (below)
Which Zero?
As to which Zero was involved, reference to the Flight Logs(5), (which is information is taken from the Dailey Reports issued by RNAS airship stations at 6 pm and sent to the Admiralty) lists SSZ73 :
On 14th November, a flight of 6 hrs 10 min. (0940 – 1550)
2nd Lt W W Ruddock with:
AMs Hughes (Engineer) and Lescombe (W/T)
Patrolling.
No flight details
searching the Logs of the 8 Zeros deployed to the Anglesey airship station lists SSZ31:
On 14th November, a flight of 55 minutes (1605 -1700)
Major T W Elmhirst with:
Capt B J Beeton (Engineer) Capt G Campbell RN, VC, DSO (Passenger)
Local flight.
Flown under Menai Bridge by Major T W Elmhirst, Commanding Officer of RNAS Station,
Anglesey. (6)
According to Mowethorpe (1), no photo of SSZ31 can be traced, unless of course, you consider the image of the blimp flying under the Menai Bridge.
The idea may well have been inspired by the cover of the July 1918's edition of the station magazine 'The Blimp' which shows the Menai Bridge to the left of the illustration. (7)
Centenary Commemoration 14.11.18
To commemorate the centenary of this event there will be a link available from November 14th at 16.05 hours to a 3d CGI of the Menai Bridge 'foolhardy stunt' live via our Crowdfunding page.
The short video, using the latest Unity game engine technology was gifted to the project by Vivid VR Ltd who used the original photograph, archive photos and drawings researched via the Colfein website, hosted by the RCAHMW
The digital Zero model was built and textured by volunteer Peter Paterson.
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Notes:
1.Mowethorpe,, Ces, (1995). Battlebags British Airships of the First World War. Alan Sutton Publishing Limited, Phoenix Mill, Far Trupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire
2.Wales and the Air War 1914-1918, Alan Phillips, Amberley Publishing Limited, 15 Sep 2015
3.The Life of a Q-ship Captain, Campbell Rear Admiral Gordon VC Dso, Periscope Publishing Ltd., 2002
4 Auction details of medal collection and service record BJ Beeton
5. Dailey Reports (initially Form 1519, established in March 1915, later
replaced by Form S1575 in June 1917) issued by RNAS airship stations at 6 pm and sent to the Admiralty
Airship Department.All research by Brian J Turpin MRAeS
6.Yorkshire press article https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14688558.some-of-you-will-get-the-vc-and-some-of-you-will-be-killed-the-extraordinary-life-of-yorkshireman-tommy-elmhirst/
7. 'The Blimp' Magazine Image reproduced with kind permission of B.Parker
