1904 - 1930s ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT BRITISH HOME FRONT DIARY, PERSONAL CATCH-ALL AND DETAILED RETELLING OF THE TERROR OF GERMAN ZEPPELIN ATTACKS DURING WORLD WAR I

On offer is a fascinating, original manuscript relic of British life on the home front early on in World War I. The diary and in some ways a bit of a catch-all notebook filled with personal experiences and observations of life, religious prayers and quotes and the highlight being an extensive description of Zeppelin attacks suffered and endured during 1915 by Great Britain handwritten by Margaret Sainsbury Maris, age 23, of 5 Marine Parade, Lowestoft England. Starting in Cambridge, St Ives, Hunts with 17 pages or so from Jan 20th 1915 through Feb 11th 1915 in the undated journal. We note there is mention of a pending Zeppelin raid. There is a brief summary of before and after the raid including a prelude to the four week trip in Lowestoft from Cambridge to meet her family, includes booking pier tickets in Lowestoft, and a short piece about the British Naval occupation on the pier "looking through binoculars" and signalling with flags" etc. (five pages). There is a further 2½ pages on Dec 01st 1915 for a total of 40 pages approx. The rest of the diary is filled with religious quotes and prayers added in the 1930s. The account of the raid is detailed with location specifics, street names, details of the damage and repairs carried out to the nearby buildings. Places mentioned include: Denmark Rd, Tonning Street, Suffolk Rd, The Station, Maypole Dairy, London Rd, Latters Timber Yard. There is mention of the military presence and the clear up after the raid. Here are some snippets: "What's that noise Margaret? I think it must have waked me too. It was a loud piercing, insistent hooter - pitched on rather a high note and quite different from a ship's siren. I said it must be a Zeppelin." "We saw great lights ascending and descending. I jumped out of bed." "Then came a crash - a teaming grinding thud - + another + another, the last being the loudest, followed by the sound of falling bricks and glass, it sounded though it was only next door." "Then we heard the whirr of the engines - terribly loud indeed." "Took pier tickets. Pier given over to Navy - they occupied the whole pavilion - some sailors always on guard at entrance. Also up aloft looking out to sea with a telescope signalling with flags. Naval officers look much nicer than army officers". Also included are photographic negatives of some of the people listed in the diary and places/things in Lowestoft including: Royal Yacht Club, Fishing smacks, Andrew on beach, Irene Clarke, Mother, Government ship, Barrel organ, Norwegian wood vessel, men in military uniform. The 6½ x 4 inch book is Overall G+.; Manuscript; 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, MARGARET SAINSBURY MARIS, ZEPPELIN RAID, LOWESTOFT, ENGLAND, WWI, WW1, WORLD WAR I, THE WAR TO END ALL WARS, THE GREAT WAR, BRITISH HOME FRONT DIARY, PERSONAL STORIES, TESTIMONY, EYEWITNESS, ENGLAND AGAINST GERMANY, THE KAISER, THE HUN, SUFFOLK, DIRIGIBLES, EARLY AIR WARFARE, EAST COAST OF ENGLAND, NORTH SEA, NORFOLK, RIGID AIRSHIP, COUNT FERDINAND VON ZEPPELIN, DEUTSCHE LUFTSCHIFFAHRTS-AG, DELAG, MOCAVO, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, AUTOGRAPHED, AUTHORS, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, ARCHIVE, DIARY, DIARIES, JOURNAL, LOG, PRIMARY SOURCE, FIRST HAND ACCOUNT, SOCIAL HISTORY, PERSONAL STORIES, LIVING HISTORY, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D'ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL,