Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen. Exactly sixty years ago, half an hour from now, something happened that some people believed was the end of the world. Many citizens became innocent victims and moreover, this event meant the arrival of a new era.

   This horrible feat took place on September 8, 1944. At two locations here in this vicinity, the whole neighbourhood, just hours beforehand, were blocked off and shut from curious eyes. At around 4:00 PM, two strange cylinder like objects, each about 47-feet high, with a pointed nose cone and metal fin like tail wings had arrived on special, clearly tailor-made trailers.

   The first of the two cigar-shaped objects was deposited at the crossing of Koekoekslaan / Konijnenlaan / Koekoekslaan / Lijsterlaan, the second at the crossing Koekoekslaan / Schouwweg / Rust en Vreugdlaan.

   At 6:35 PM sharp, a thundering, deafening roaring sound, combined with a fearful high howling noise broke out, an almost unimaginable sound that could be heard for many miles in the surrounding area. It seemed as though the bellowing racket had an echo of about one second of the same deafening intensity. A few seconds later, dozens of people saw two cigar-like projectiles rise above the crowns of the trees, driven by a huge yellow flame and accompanied by an unimaginable din, ever faster shooting up high into the sky. The launching of the first V-2 s to London was a fact. The rockets had been launched almost simultaneously, with an interval of no more than one second; each of them loaded with destructive explosives, used as a last resort to turn the tide as yet for the Germans. "Vergeltungswaffe zwei" they were called, these rockets, originally christened as Aggregat 4, developed by distinguished German chemistry and physics experts, led by Werner von Braun.

   The first murderous weapon left the atmosphere at several times the speed of sound, and brought death and destruction to Chiswick, a London area suburb. Three people were killed and seventeen wounded; this was the sad toll. Only after the explosion of the V-2's deathly cargo, could the howling approach of the rocket be heard; one of the macabre effects of its speed being faster than sound.

   Tonight we commemorate this fact. In Chiswick too, it is remembered tonight that three citizens were killed that evening and seventeen civilians were wounded, a number of buildings were destroyed and several trees were uprooted. A fact that today still fills us with horror and impotence. Horror because of the misery and death eventually reeked among thousands, mostly innocent peo-ple. Important, because we were unable to stop and prevent these attacks perpetrated by the occupying enemy.

   Yet, I wish to name one very special person, a fellow citizen deceased many years ago. Albeit that he too was unable to prevent these first and all other launchings, nonetheless through his efforts the allied forces could dispose of all essential and scientifically relevant data of the V-2. I m referring to the late Prof. Dr. J.W.H. Uytenbogaart. Risking his own life, often play-acting with stoic calm, playing the role of the innocent passer by, happening to be there by chance, he managed to collect information and material at launching pads. He analysed and tested these data by comparing it with his impressive collection of previously gathered knowledge in his secret study up in the attic of his home. Through the so-called Packard espionage network, his reports and his minute drawings were sent on to London.

Tonight we commemorate the start of a nightmare that went on for months and brought death and destruction, not only in England, France and Belgium, but also in Wassenaar, The Hague and the province of Zeeland. After all, a launching would often go wrong, whereby the rocket caused casualties near or at the launching pad and also the unfortunate bombing of Bezuidenhout on March 3, 1945, was due to the presence of V-2 launching sites nearby. Let us remember all victims tonight, directly and indirectly affected by this abominable weapon, used on the order of a paranoid lunatic who hoped to change the fate of an already long lost war as yet to his advantage.

   Some of you might say Through this we also commemorate the start of a new era, the beginning of real space travel. Yes, it s true that the V-2 was not only model to the comic strip of Tintin s journey to the moon, but it also eventually led to the construction of the Apollo space rocket in the United States and likewise the V-2 was copied and remodeled in the Soviet Union and has ultimately led to the development of the present space rockets; but I wish to remind these abstract thinkers of the fact that, as practically always, the power of science can be used for better or for worse. In the case of the V-2 it has clearly been used in the latter sense, with all its consequences.

   Unfortunately, we can not change this; the harm has long been done. What we can do is remember and let our thoughts for an instant dwell on the fate of all those who became the victims of these deadly weapons and we can show our sympathy to the bereaved. Therefore I would like to request to observe one minute of silence.

Mayor Van den Muijsenberg, Wassenaar