Zeppelin L48
Crew: Two survivors out of nineteen crew members total
Date: 17th June 1917
Place: Theberton, Suffolk

A team from the Great War Archaeology Group, with author Julian Evan-Hart and World War I historian Ray Rimmell, excavated the site of Zeppelin L48.

L48 was the last Zeppelin to fall in England when it crashed on the 17th June, 1917. It was shot down by Lieutenant L. P. Watkins in a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12, and crashed in flames at Holly Tree Farm (now Hall Farm), Theberton, Suffolk.

16 members of the crew were killed, and 3 survived by jumping clear as the wreck hit the ground, one
of whom subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

The excavation was part of a documentary, ‘The First Blitz’, which was shown by the BBC as part of the Timewatch series. It can still be viewed here.

You can also read the Preliminary Post-Excavation Report, written by Julian Evan-Hart, here.

Some other images taken from the dig: