THE little boy just stood and stared - never before had he seen such an amazing sight in the skies over Southampton.

Now, nearly 70 years later, Denis Pentlow still remembers that evening when he looked up and saw the huge Hindenburg airship slowly making its way across Southampton.

It was July 5, 1936, and the German Hindenburg, with its Nazi swastikas on the tail fins, was heading towards Frankfurt after crossing the Atlantic from Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA.

Less than a year later, the ill-fated Hindenburg was to be destroyed in a devastating inferno that swept through the airship as it came in to land at Lakehurst.

"I can remember seeing the Hindenburg so well as it came across Cook's Lane, making a very distinctive droning noise,'' said Denis, who now lives in Bassett, Southampton.

"The sight made quite an impression on me as it looked so sinister. It was a silvery grey colour and about 200 to 300 feet above the ground. It was such an awesome sight.''

The Hindenburg's appearance in the sky over Southampton was front page news in the Daily Echo the next day.

"The airship passed along the south coast last evening and was plainly seen over Southampton,'' said the newspaper report.

"Thousands of eyes were lifted skywards when the approach of the air liner was noised abroad. She seemed to come overland, having apparently turned somewhat as she was skirting the English Channel.

"The Hindenburg's coming caused great excitement in dockland. The Canadian Pacific liner Montrose had arrived from Montreal at about seven o'clock, and when the airship appeared work was temporarily brought to a standstill.''

All along the path the Hindenburg took as it headed down Southampton Water towards Portsmouth, people came out of their houses to watch it.