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| Publicity Department, Central Recruiting Depot. Restoration by Adam Cuerden. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C |
'On a foggy, frosty night of January 31 to February 1, 1916, Tipton, Bradley, Wednesbury and Walsall were bombed by Zeppelins in one of the heaviest air raids of the First World War. By the end of that terrible night, 35 local people were dead, including the Lady Mayoress of Walsall, Mary Julia Slater.'
The L21 Zeppelin responsible is still one of the largest 'combat aircraft' to have ever flown. On 31st of January Captain Max Deitrich of the L21 was planning to bomb Liverpool when he saw the lights of the Black country below. Birmingham had almost certainly been spared as the council had prudently put a police order in place to 'show no lights'.
