A new plaque commemorating the first bombing raid over London during the First World War has been unveiled in Stoke Newington.
On May 31 1915, a bomb from a German Zeppelin fell on the top floor of 16 Alkham Road, the first aerial bomb ever to be dropped in the city.
Beginning shortly after 11pm, this first raid took residents by surprise as high–explosive and incendiary bombs, continued to fall on other areas of Hackney including Nevill, Cowper, Balls Pond, Shakespeare and Allen Roads, causing 41 fires.
Although there were no injuries in Alkham Road, the first raid claimed the lives of seven people and injured 35 more.
Historian Ian Castle, who had approached the council about placing the plaque, said: “I am delighted by the unveiling of this plaque, which not only commemorates an important moment in the history of the borough of Hackney, but also a significant point in the history of London too. While most people are aware of the Blitz of 1940-41, many are unaware that London was bombed from the air in the First World War too.”
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