Warneford shooting down Zeppelin LZ 37

Destruction of Zeppelin LZ37 by Flight Lieutenant Reginald Alexander Jay Warneford, June 7, 1915
Original gouache on paper, artist unknown
Image size: 178 × 275 mm — Mounted on cardboard: 240 × 307 mm

This original gouache illustration depicts the dramatic moment when British Flight Lieutenant Reginald Alexander Jay Warneford destroyed the German airship Zeppelin LZ37 near Ghent on June 7, 1915. In a daring solo attack, Warneford dropped bombs from his aircraft, setting the Zeppelin ablaze and earning him the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military honour for valour.

Tragically, Warneford lost his life only ten days later, on June 17, 1915, when the aircraft he was ferrying crashed.

The scene was originally created to illustrate a period magazine. Warneford was the first pilot of the Royal Naval Air Service to receive the Victoria Cross for aerial combat.