Some time after 9 pm on Sunday, October 1st, 1916, ten German airships crossed the East Coast with the aim of bombing London. They were initially driven off but attempted to return over Hertfordshire.
Shortly before midnight one of the airships - Zeppelin L-31 - was brought down in flames near Potters Bar with the loss of all her crew. A second airship - Zeppelin L-24 - altered course, probably to avoid a similar fate, and dumped over 50 bombs as it flew back towards the North Sea.
Bombs fell at 1.14 am on a training camp at Willian, near Hitchin, injuring a woman and killing one man - Pte William Hawkes, a farm labourer living at Stopsley who was serving in the 56th Protection Company of the Royal Defence Corps (26095).
His death merited just one brief paragraph in The Luton News of October 5th. That read: "MILITARY FUNERAL - The mortal remains of Pte Hawkes, of Stopsley, who leaves a widow and family, are to be accorded a military funeral at Stopsley Church this (Thursday) afternoon." No reference to the Zeppelin raid and only the use of the phrase "mortal remains" to suggest something unusual.
An inquest was held on Tuesday, October 3rd, but neither the name of the deceased nor any witnesses were given in reports in The Hertfordshire Mercury or Luton News/Saturday Telegraph. The Mercury said the hearing was held in the servants' hall of a North Herts mansion and, like the Saturday Telegraph, his age was reported to be 43. His headstone gives an age of 56.
The Luton News report went on that his wife, a very delicate-looking woman who seemed greatly affected, said she last saw her husband three weeks previously.
A police constable said he received instructions from his inspector to go to a 100 acre field where one bomb had fallen. He cycled in company with another constable, and on arrival asked whether anyone was missing. He was told that one was not accounted for.
They searched the field and found the deceased lying on his back about five yards from a bomb hole. The body was lying in a north easterly direction. The constable found 4s 11½d and some other items in the man's pocket.
Another witness gave evidence of the search for, and of the finding of, the deceased. Had the man fallen flat he would probably have escaped, but he remained standing. Nine bombs fell in a very few seconds. Witness could see one Zeppelin quite clearly, and heard it for 20 or 25 seconds.
A doctor said he was called to the case at 1.20 on Monday morning. When he arrived the body was still warm. There was a small wound just above the heart, one on his thigh and one over the abdomen - all small punctures going through the clothing. He had no doubt that he was killed by the wound over the heart. All the wounds were in the front of the body.
The Coroner, summing up, said there was the same common danger and peril for all of us, but the man had fallen a victim to it.
The verdict was to the effect that deceased died from the wound over the heart received from a bomb dropped from an enemy airship.
One final Stopsley district paragraph in The Luton News on October 12th wrapped up the story. It read: "MILITARY FUNERAL - On Thursday the remains of Pte William Hawkes were taken to the church with every mark of military honour. A firing party with reversed rifles preceded the coffin, which was covered with the Union Jack, while a considerable body of soldiers followed. After the service the buglers gave the Last Post and, needless to say, the first military funeral in Stopsley created not only considerable interest but sympathy towards a humble unit of the King's Army who had 'done his bit'."
The Commonwealth War Grave Commission website gives the name of William's widow as Elizabeth Hawkes, of Ramridge End.
William is commemorated on the Stopsley War Memorial.