Battlefields Trust London & South East

On 8 September 2004, the London and South East Branch of the Battlefields Trust achieved a milestone in our progress. We placed our first battlefield marker to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first V2 rocket to fall on London. This was also an exercise in teamwork at several levels and the starting point for what we hope will be further work on the Chiswick V2.

The V2 that landed on Staveley Road, Chiswick London W4 is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it was an important milestone in military technology and a turning point in warfare. The Surface to Surface ballistic missile is as much a part of the post war nuclear world as the atom bomb. When we think of a weapon of mass destruction we think of a nuclear, biological or chemical warhead on something very much like the V2. Secondly, it's a monument to a sustained attack on London which killed 1,200 people and injured 6,000 more. Thirdly, it is a monument to the "Secret War" waged during the second half of World War II against Hitler's revenge weapons. This was a monumental campaign which took place in the air and on the ground across Europe from Britain to Poland. It involved the allied and German air forces, the resistance forces of occupied Europe, the secret services and the Nazi concentration camp network. It has been overshadowed by the D Day and liberation story, but it is an important part of one of the decisive wars in our recent history.

At almost the precise time the rocket fell sixty years previous, we unveiled a commemorative marker stone to the London Borough of Hounslow. Among the crowd of around 400 people were many witnesses to the original attack as well as representatives from the Dutch Community of Wassenaar, which was the unwilling launch site for this and many other missiles.

This project has succeeded was due to teamwork. The idea for the commemoration started with a suggestion from Scott MacKinlay, a Trust member who lives in Chiswick. Scott has been a driving force in this project, personally raising a large part of the funds through a charity run. He has been tireless in driving the project forward. Scott put us in touch with the Brentford and Chiswick Historical society who were very receptive to the idea, having been unable to persuade English Heritage to erect a marker for the 50th anniversary.

The relationship with the Brentford and Chiswick Historical society has been particularly rewarding. This has been a joint project and the Historical Society organised the commemoration itself and some excellent archive material, including an excellent leaflet, which will form the basis of an information panel. The Historical Society are collecting eye witness reports and compiling an archive of personal reminiscences. This was helped by a grant from Home Front Recall who funded a reception at a local sports club with local witnesses.

We have had tremendous support from the Trust Members. Chris Jolly helped with a substantial donation to pay for a railing around the stone marker. The PR effort by Julie Ellis worked well. Between us and the Historical society we managed to get coverage on BBC TV and ITN as well as in the local press and on the excellent W4 Chiswick website. Many members of the Trust acted as stewards and collected details of eye witnesses.

There has been a significant international dimension. Slightly earlier on the same day, in the Netherlands the Dutch community of Wassenaar had unveiled a marker to commemorate the launch of the same historic missile. This ceremony was attended by the British Ambassador to The Hague. The Trust played a significant part. We introduced Wassenaar to Chiswick, while exploring the potential of a visit to Wassenaar and other V2 related sites in Europe.

This event has also brought us into contact with Hounslow's councillors and mayor. The fact that we, and the local History Society have been able to deliver should give us greater credibility and support for our other projects in the area, the Battles of Brentford and Turnham Green.

We plan to build on the success of this commemoration. The Oral History project will create a unique set of primary reference material about the V2 and develop our understanding of the V2. The educational packs under development will help meet our objectives of education. We also are at an early stage in exploring the potential of a pilgrimage tour from Chiswick to visit the V2 related sites in Europe.

By Frank Baldwin and Scott Mackinlay