Skegness Magazine

HINDENBURG OVER SEACROFT (1936)

Unexpected Thrill for Residents and Holiday-Makers.
SKEGNESS GAINS WORLD PUBLICITY.

Friday the Twenty-sixth was a red-letter day for Skegness. The fact that the German airship, Hindenburg, (pictured), passed over the resort after it had been out of wireless touch with the world for several hours lent special interest to its journey back to Germany, and the name of Skegness was flashed within a few minutes of its reaching the Wash to every evening newspaper office in Great Britain, Germany, and the United States.
All the Wireless news bulletin broadcasts in the evening to home and empire stations also reported the giant airship’s passage over Skegness.
Then, in addition, Leonard Lovesey’s English Entertainers broadcast an excellent quarter of an hour’s entertainment from the Pier Saloon, the programme being radiated from both the Northern and Midland Regional stations.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL EXCITEMENT.
Probably the first to view the Hindenburg were the young students at the Skegness Grammar School, they being sportingly permitted by the Headmaster Mr. K. G. Spend-love, M.A., to down pens and rush out into the grounds to get a first-class view of the great dirigible as it passed over the southern end of the Urban District.
The Hindenburg left Liverpool at 9-30 a.m., passed over Lincoln at 10-55 a.m. and maintained an easterly course between Spilsby and Burgh on its way to Skegness and Frankfurt-on-Main.
A few hours after leaving Lakeside (New York), and while crossing the Atlantic, wireless communication with the mainland suddenly ceased, but reports that the airship had been in difficulties were denied by the commander in later radio messages to Berlin.
RETARDED SPEED.
It is believed, however, that the storm she had been fighting through was very heavy. Skegness was reached at 11-40 a.m. and the late news bulletin stated that the ship’s average speed from Malin Head (North Ireland) to Skegness was only 60 m.p.h.
The Hindenburg passed exactly over the twelfth green of the Seacroft Golf Links, which is a little more than half-way between the northern and southern boundaries of the course. The Gothic lettering and the Swastika were plainly visible, but no human life could he discerned, and the height of the dirigible was probably not less than 2,000 feet, as required by regulation.

HOLIDAY MAKERS’ EXCELLENT VIEW
She was soon over the sea and holidaymakers all along the beach had a splendid view of the monster, broadside on. When about half way between Skegness and Hunstanton the airship turned north-north-east as if to circle the Norfolk coast.
A representative of the “Skegness News” quickly established telephonic communication with the Exchange Telegraph Company and the Press Association, and before the airship was out of sight of Skegness the information that she had passed over this part of the English coast was being tapped out on tape machines to all the important newspaper offices in Great Britain, and by Reuter to Germany and the United States.
SKEGNESSIAN’S VIEW AT CROMER.
A quarter of an hour later the Hindenburg passed over Cromer, where singularly enough a member of the “Skegness News” staff is enjoying his holiday. He reports that the statement that handkerchief greetings were exchanged between the passengers of the Hindenburg and Cromer visitors should be regarded as permissable licence to an enthusiastic journalist, he placing the height at 2,000 feet instead of the 300 feet broadcast on the wireless.
ESCORT OF R.A.F. MACHINES.
Off the Norfolk coast she was escorted by six Hawker Hart aeroplanes piloted by members of the R.A.F.
“A generation ago the passing of a giant airship over Skegness would have been regarded as little less than a miracle”, said Rev. P. A. Kelsey at last Sunday morning’s service at the Algitha Road Methodist Church. “This planet will soon be girdled by airships and aeroplanes which will carry us from one point to another at unbelievable speeds.”