Bleriot XI-2 3228 at or near Atwick aerodrome.

On 9th August 1915 the German Navy Zeppelin L-9 was intending on bombing Hull and having crossed the North Sea came over the East Riding of Yorkshire roughly at Flamborough. An RNAS Home Defence Flight aeroplane based at Atwick, Bristol TB-8 1217, had attempted to intercept was slightly damaged on take off from Atwick. The weather was poor with fog affecting visibility but even so Bleriot 3228 also of the RNAS Home Defence Flight based at Atwick was sent to try and intercept it and took off from Atwick at 20.20hrs. The Bleriot pilot stated the he would sight the Zeppelin but that no contact made and it drifted back over the coast and out to sea. The Bleriot pilot returned to Atwick but with the weather deteriorating he struggled to locate Atwick aerodrome. It subsequently crashed on landing at or near Atwick and was badly damaged though the pilot escaped injury. A short time later the Zeppelin came back over land again near Hornsea and the hastily repaired TB-8 aeroplane was sent up again. While the pilot managed follow it for some time he eventually lost it in the fog and had to return to Atwick. Whether or not the TB-8 or the Bleriot were armed is unclear, it appears that the only armament was that were carried were side arms by aircrew. As it transpired, the captain of the Zeppelin Kptlt Loewe mistoook Goole for Hull and released a considerable number of bombs over Goole. Unfortunately sixteen people in Goole were killed and eleven injured. It later dropped some bombs at Hotham then flew back toward the coast and away.

Pilot - FSL Robin Gordon Mack RNAS.