The First Bomb of WWI
On the night of 31st May 1915, the first bomb of world war I fell on this house at 16 Alkham Road. It was dropped by a Zeppelin LZ.38, and the occupants were Albert Lovell and his family. Luckily they all survived. The bomb set fire to the upper floor of the house and the fire brigade quickly had it extinguished. However, minutes later three-year-old Elsie Smith was burnt to death under a bed in her home after another bomb fell at Cowper Road, Hoxton.
Over all 41 fires were reported that night.
Hackney council however, made an error in commemorating the event, as they put the wrong plaque on the wrong building. Originally the council placed a plaque on 31 Nevill Road. Although this site did have a bomb drop on it, it certainly wasn't the first. The plaque has since disappeared and a new one was put up at 16 Alkham Road one hundred years after it dropped (29th May 2015).
Hackney council also made another error though - they didn't inform the new occupant of the scheduled event outside his house that was liable to attract camera crews and reporters from around the world.
