WITH necks craned and mouths open, Barrovians stared in amazement at the sight of a huge, futuristic airship soaring above the rooftops.

It is 80 years ago today since the Hindenburg  made an unexpected appearance over the Barrow skyline. 

The colossal German Zeppelin passed over Barrow on the evening of May 23, 1936.

At the time, she was a luxurious and ultra-modern mode of travel for her affluent passengers, who were making a return journey from the United States to Germany.

The hydrogen gas-filled airliner was flying very low and those on the ground could clearly make out the Nazi swastikas emblazoned on her tail fins. 

The headlines in the Barrow News, which would become The North-West Evening Mail, read "The Hindenburg, German Zeppelin passes over Barrow, Great excitement in Dalton Road last evening".

The newspaper reported: "The airship passed over Barrow at about 7.25pm, flying at moderate speed. She was very low and her registration number and name could by clearly read by people in Dalton Road and over towards Greengate Street.

"She was first sighted in the district from the vicinity of Bootle, coming from the direction of the Isle of Man, and flying over steadily towards the south.

"Her passage over the shopping centre of Barrow aroused the greatest interest and excitement. She appeared to be coming from the coast and steering a course that would take her across country.

"Every detail of her hull could be clearly made out and the deep note of her engines was the first intimation of her arrival.

"The swastika was clearly discernible on her rudder."

An 86-year-old Barrow resident told the Evening Mail the day a pal and he looked up from their play to see this monster of the sky. 

He said: "I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was with a pal at the time. We were kids out playing in Central Drive, Walney. 

"It came almost directly overhead. It was awe inspiring, it looked like a silver orb that go bigger and bigger. It felt so close that you could throw a stone at it.

"Underneath you could see the cabin. And you could see the name and the swastikas. We just knew it was an airship. It was making a heavy throbbing noise   

"It was such an astonishing thing; a monster. Like a liner going above." 

On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg burst into flames while attempting to land at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in America. 

The disaster killed 35 people aboard, plus one ground crew member. Of the 97 passengers and crew members on board, 62 managed to survive.