Original Imperial German WWI Wreckage Pieces from Zeppelin L-49 Captured by U.S. 29th Division Soldier with Provenance
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. On the morning of Oct. 19, 1917, 13 Zeppelins, including L49, were ordered to “attack middle England. Industrial region of Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, etc.” With a crew of 19 and carrying 11,000 pounds of fuel, it set out with a payload of 4,410 pounds of bombs, of which 42 bombs were dropped. Following the raid, L49 was forced down in France near Bourbonne-les-Bains by French fighter planes. All crew members survived and were taken prisoners.
This is an outstanding display board containing two aluminum fragments taken from Zeppelin L49 which was forced down in France on October 19th, 1917. These two pieces were taken as souvenirs by Private John B. Maresca, Machine Gun Company, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division, American Expeditionary Forces. Interestingly, Maresca was an Italian-born immigrant who likely joined to speed up his citizenship process.
The board measures roughly 9 x 12” and contains a great write-up on the Zeppelin along with mentioning the capture of the pieces by Maresca. Also on the board is an original period RPPC of the wreck, a great addition!
The set consists of two wreckage pieces of riveted aluminum, likely part of the overall frame of the zeppelin.
A fantastic set, ready for further research and display!
- This product is available for international shipping.
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