A plaque has been unveiled marking the first ever air raid on Colchester.

East Anglian Daily Times: Local historian Andrew Phillips, Sir Bob Russell MP, and Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Maurice Mason unveiled a plaque on Butt Road on a wall of the Colchester Police Station parking lot to mark the site of the first air raid in Colchester during the First World War.Local historian Andrew Phillips, Sir Bob Russell MP, and Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Maurice Mason unveiled a plaque on Butt Road on a wall of the Colchester Police Station parking lot to mark the site of the first air raid in Colchester during the First World War.

The landmark event occurred 100 years ago, when a lone German plane pilot threw a bomb out of the cockpit onto the town in 1915 during the First World War.

No-one was hurt in the blast, which happened in Butt Road at what is now part of the Colchester police station car park.

To commemorate the incident Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell commissioned and paid for a plaque to be installed on the car park wall.

It was unveiled yesterday by the MP, on the centenary of the event, along with local historian Andrew Phillips.

East Anglian Daily Times: Sir Bob Russell MP unveiled a plaque on Butt Road, along with local historian Andrew Phillips, at the site of the first air raid in Colchester during the First World War.Sir Bob Russell MP unveiled a plaque on Butt Road, along with local historian Andrew Phillips, at the site of the first air raid in Colchester during the First World War.

Sir Bob said: “This was the first air raid on Colchester, this was something completely new.

“It brought war straight to the civilian population, a direct enemy attack, and it is historically significant. There had been naval attacks on coastal towns, but this was new for Colchester.

“I thought it was worthy of marking, and Essex Police have been very co-operative.”

The plaque was sourced by the Colchester Civic Society.