D HowlettThe stricken airship crashed into the Humber off Hull in 1924Vivid memories of an airship exploding over Hull and plummeting into the Humber estuary almost 100 years ago have been unearthed by a new project.
Thousands of people in Hull witnessed the R38 airship crash on 24 August 1921, killing 44 crew members.
The project by Historic England has unearthed a wealth of family stories.
It includes the plight of Richard Withington, who parachuted from the doomed airship only to drown in the Humber, according to his family.
Ian Simpson contacted the R38 project team with documents and the family's story relating to the death of Mr Withington, his great uncle.
Mr Simpson's documents include the original telegram informing Mr Withington's parents of his death, details of a memorial service in Howden, near Hull, in 1921 and invitations to the unveiling of the R38 memorial at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London in 1925.
Meanwhile, Edwin Piercy passed on the recollections of John Piercy, who had been playing football when he saw the airship split in two.
Like many, he ran to the city's Victoria Pier where he saw two survivors come ashore.
D HowlettThe craft, which was 695ft long (212m) and 85ft (26m) high, was on a test flight from Howden near Hull when disaster struckThe crash happened as the R38/ZR-2 airship, originally built in Cardington near Bedford, was on a flight from Howden before being accepted into service by the US Navy.
It was designed late in World War One for long range North Sea patrols and was the world's largest airship when it first flew in June 1921.
Balance problems had been discovered during earlier test flights in June and July which led to its girders being reinforced during repairs at Howden.
It flew for the final time on 24 August and after carrying out low altitude turns over Hull, creases began appearing on its side at 17:37, before it collapsed and blew up.
Of the crew of 49, only five members survived the crash and some of the crash victims were buried in a mass grave at a Hull cemetery.
Christine MooreFl Lt A H Wann (L) and Cpl Potter (R), who survived the disaster, took part in a service at Hull Western cemetery in 1924Two people got in touch separately with the organisers of the Historic England project to give more details about Cpl Walter Potter, one of the survivors.
Sonia Potts, Mr Potter's granddaughter, recounted his family had wanted him to leave the forces after his narrow escape, but he went on to crew the R101 and was killed when that airship crashed in France in 1930.
Meanwhile, Christine Moore, Mr Potter's great niece, shared photographs including one of him at the 1924 dedication of the memorial in Western Cemetery, Hull.
Other people have revealed treasured objects made out of the ruins of the machine, including a pair of aluminium candlesticks.
Colin CrawforthInside the base of this candlestick is inscribed a mention of the airship which plunged into the HumberIn total, over 30 family contributions concerning the disaster have been catalogued by the Carnegie Heritage Centre in Hull.
Ahead of creating a full online archive, the centre's website is to feature some of the objects prior to the anniversary on 24 August.
Keith Emerick, from Historic England, said: "Thanks to the contributors, these illuminating documents, photos and stories will provide a long-lasting public legacy."
A memorial service is also to be held at Hull Minster on Sunday afternoon and will include representatives from the US Navy and embassy.
A Lancaster bomber from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is also due to make a flypast as guests gather afterwards at the cemetery in Hull which is the site of some of the victims' graves.
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