Letter from R W Donkin

This letter from a boy to his parents captures the excitement of a child experiencing war. It also reflects public fascination with a new weapon, the Zeppelin.

"Eight-year-old Donkin describes a Zeppelin falling from the sky. The letter is illustrated with a drawing of the crashed airship – SL11 – which came down in Potters Bar on 3 September 1916 during the First World War. Second Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson of the Royal Flying Corps, flying a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c fighter armed with incendiary bullets, was the first person to successfully shoot down a Zeppelin. He was awarded the Victoria Cross. To confirm whether a copy is available to access please email askcollections@rafmuseum.org"