Picture of ‘Zeppelin’ turns out to be The Hindenburg

An appeal by Fordingbridge Museum asking people to help identify an airship pictured flying over Fordingbridge has come up with an unexpected result.

The museum had thought the airship may have been a First World War Zeppelin, but information and research has identified it as the famous German passenger airship The Hindenburg.

The article requesting information was seen by Giles Camplin, from the Airship Heritage Trust, who immediately identified it as The Hindenburg LZ129.

He said: “The Hindenburg is known by many people only because of the footage of it crashing in flames in America in May 1937.

“This is unfair as it made a large number of extremely successful flights carrying large numbers of passengers in the height of luxury.”

Fordingbridge Museum has received seven emails with information about the picture following the article, which also appeared on our website, including one from America and two from Germany.

Research by the museum has also uncovered an account of the Hindenburg’s sighting in The Salisbury and Winchester Journal dated Friday, July 10, 1936. The article says that the giant airship was sighted on the previous Sunday at about 7.30pm.

It adds: “It passed almost directly over Fordingbridge and hundreds of people there, including passing motorists, stopped to watch the airship’s progress.

“The swastika and other identification marks on the outside were easily distinguishable.”

The airship was returning from Lakehurst in America to Frankfurt in Germany, a journey which took 45 hours 39 minutes. Facilities inside the airship were very well-appointed and even included a lounge with an aluminium piano.

Alastair Dalrymple, who owns the original photograph, said: “I was always dubious about it being a First World War Zeppelin, because there is what looks like a swastika on its tail.

“The photo means a lot to me as it is one of the few remaining links I have with the house where I lived for several years, Townsend, opposite the police station in Fordingbridge.

“This was where Mr Arney, a relative of mine who took the photograph, lived.

“The airship is flying over the Wellingtonia tree planted by Mr Arney’s father.

“I am grateful to the Journal for helping to clear up the mystery.”

via – Salisbury Journal.