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103 years ago tonight & early tomorrow morning (2/3 April 1916), two Zeppelin airships, L14 & L22, of the Imperial German Navy, conducted a bombing raid on the City of Edinburgh and the docks and district of Leith on the north side of the city. 
This was a slow-motion form of terror attack. While the first bombs wouldn’t fall on the city until 23.50, at 7pm this evening in 1916, a telephone message was recv’d-as prearranged with the Military authorities in the event of a threatened air raid-to be prepared to take action.
At 21.05, the order from the Military to “Take Air Raid Action” was recv’d. Immediately, the Electric Light Department was notified to lower all lights, all traffic was stopped & the lights on vehicles were extinguished...
The Central Fire Station & Red Cross were also notified. The Police Headquarters stations were informed & all men then off duty of the Regular & Special Force were turned out. The above details all taken from report by DI Peter McAusland, City of Edinburgh Police @NatRecordsScot
The narrative then switches to Leith where the report by Chief Constable John Macleod of Leith Police describes how a Zeppelin (L14) was sighted at about 23.25 crossing the Firth of Forth west of Inchkeith Island, coming in a southwesterly direction towards Leith...
The first bomb to be dropped, around 23.50, fell into the west end of the Edinburgh Dock. Zeppelin L14 would go on to drop a total of 20 bombs (explosive & incendiary) on Leith & another 24 bombs on the City of Edinburgh...
Although modern reports of casualty numbers vary, the two contemporary police reports indicate that 2 people died in Leith and 9 in Edinburgh, with a total of 24 people injured. Damage costs in the order of £2M at today’s prices were principally from a bonded warehouse fire.
Although 2 Zeppelins were in the raid, only L14 dropped bombs, as L22 had jettisoned most of its bombs in fields near Berwick-upon-Tweed (anyone know why?). In fact, they were part of a group of 4 airships intending to bomb Rosyth Naval Base...
... but 2 of them suffered engine problems and navigational issues and never made it. The Forth Bridge was also an intended target but somehow both that massive structure & Rosyth Naval Base eluded the remaining two Zeppelins and L14 headed to Edinburgh and Leith instead...
Gunners on the southern slopes of Arthur’s Seat saw off L14 for the final time around 12:30am when the final bomb was dropped. Airship, L22, had ventured briefly into the city, able to cause only minor damage as it had no bombs. Good modern account here: scotsman.com/lifestyle/lost…
Tomorrow, the morning of 3rd April, I will be walking the route of the 20 bombs dropped in Leith, along the Water of Leith, visiting each bombed property, photographing the locations now, and remembering Leith’s 2 fatalities from the raid. Tweeting about it later tomorrow TTFN
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