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Pulham St Mary, Norfolk: Patrolling the Coast For 'Pulham Pigs'

The airship base used for patrolling and training parachutists to descend from airships

The Government began buying land around Pulham St Mary before the war broke out. The station became operational in 1916. It was principally a patrol station covering Margate to Dunkirk and Mablethorpe to Holland.

Experimental work was also carried out at the base including the development of the first parachutes.

The Pulham base consisted of huge airship hangars, hydrogen production works and masts to attach the inflated airships too. There were also a huge number of facilities for the hundreds of staff based there including accommodation huts, sports pitches and even a theatre.

The 鈥淧ulham Pigs鈥 got their name when a local man looked up, saw the ship, and said 鈥淭het luk loike a great ol鈥 pig鈥. When an airship came into land the whole village turned out to help bring it down safely.

Shelia Moss King is from the Pennoyers Community Centre in Pulham St Mary that has an extensive collection of airship photographs.

Location: Pulham St Mary, Norfolk IP21 4QT
Image of an airship at Pulham, courtesy of Sheila Moss King from Pennoyers Centre, who also presents the story

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