The photograph shown above (taken from Wikipedia) was taken on 23rd June, 1921 and shows part of the first trial flight of the R38 airship which was of a type planned by Britain late in the Great war but taken over by the United States Navy in 1919. So what has this got to do with Hull Cemeteries(?). In Hull’s Western Cemetery is a monument to the men who died when the above airship buckled in speed trials over the Humber Estuary on 24th August, 1921 – 16 American servicemen, 28 British. These very large airships had amazing capabilities – a range of over 6000 miles flying at 22000 feet, staying in the air night and day, were powered by six water-cooled engines each driving a propeller and capable of speeds up to 70 m.p.h. They were therefore being developed for both military and civil purposes. The fatal accident over the Humber was the first of a number over the 1920s and early 1930s by which time aircraft were considered a more practical option. I am not sure whether the R38 was lifted by hydrogen (extremely dangerous in the event of fire) or helium. A picture of the memorial in Western Cemetery will following next blog as I cannot work-out how to include more than one picture.