The first attack on British soil was on Christmas Eve 1914 when a German aircraft dropped a bomb near Dover Castle. Little damage was caused.

London was bombed for the first time by a single German airship which dropped a ton of bombs mainly on the East End on 31 May 1915. Seven people were killed and thirty five were injured.

Nearly 9,000 German bombs of a total weight of 280 tons were dropped on British soil in fifty-one airship and fifty-two aeroplane attacks during the First World War. In all 1,412 people were killed and 3,408 others were wounded as a result of these raids, London suffering more than half of the casualties - 670 killed and 1,962 injured.

If you are interested in reading more about air raids during the First World War click here for details of how to visit the Department of Printed Books.

Sources:
Civil defence by Terence O'Brien (pub. HMSO and Longmans, London,1955)
The German air raids on Great Britain, 1914-1918 by Joseph Morris (pub. Sampson Low Marston, London, ca.1925)