Impression sketch
of Thermite Zeppelin bombs, before and after - by Jamie. See original at: http://www.stedmundsburychronicle.co.uk/galleryww1/galleryww1page_04a.htm
With continued
Zeppelin raids,
Aimed on the
London capital,
Guidance came on
how to fight
Incendiary bombs.
The Commissioner
of Police,
Sir Edward Henry's
guidance,
Was for effective
uses of sand
And water.
To agree British
Fire Prevention
Committee,
advised how powder
Or chemical
extinguishers were
Less suitable.
Regarding the
incendiary bombs,
This committee gave
their advice
Over tackling those
fires, resultant
Of air raids.
Straightforward
and economical,
Were buckets of
water and hand
Pumps - with sand
to douse spirit
And oil fires.
For public education
reasons,
Came explanations,
with details
Of Germans bombs
of Zeppelins
And their dangers.
Conical metal and
10'' diameter
Base, they had a
cup and funnel.
At the top was the
handle, along
With ignition device.
Thermite filled the funnel - when
Ignited, an intense
heat along
With concussion,
makes molten
Metal of 5,000 °F.
Furthermore the
funnel, caked
In resinous skin and bound
With tarred rope
- adding white
Phosphorus in cap.
Resin and
phosphorus create
Bilious fumes - often
petrol
And celluloid chippings
were
Also present.
When such a bomb
struck,
The "Goldschmidt reaction"
Made molten
metal, fumes
And resin smoke.
All
measures should be ready
For
horrendous incendiary
Fires - thus a forewarned public
Should be prepared.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Zeppelin
Raids - Bomb Construction - Extinguishing Incendiary Fires, [online] 27
September. P.6. Col.5. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11885788/Daily-Telegraph-September-27-1915.html
[Accessed: 27 September 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 27 September 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1London
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