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Hither Green, Lewisham: Where Seven Siblings were Killed in a Zeppelin Raid

Fifteen people were killed in this German Zeppelin raid

On the night of the 19/20 October 1917, fifteen people were killed when a 300lb pound was dropped from a German Zeppelin over Hither Green in Lewisham.

The bomb landed on Glenview Road destroying a number of houses. Amongst the dead were seven brothers and sisters of the Kingston family. They were aged between 3 and 18.

The attack, which was the last by Zeppelins in London, was known as the β€œsilent raid”. Bad weather meant the aircraft flew high above cloud level with the result that they could not be easily seen or heard.

World War One saw London attacked from the air for the first time. Hundreds of people were killed but, rather than destroy morale, one result was that many British soldiers on the front were spurred on to seek revenge.

The residents of Glenview Road who died in the attack are buried in two graves at Heroes’ Corner in Ladywell Cemetery.

Location: Glenview Road (now Nightingale Grove), Hither Green, Lewisham, London SE13
Image: Damage caused to Glenview Road following the raid. Photograph courtesy of IWM

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