V2 at Colindale

V2 at Colindale. A Lucky escape.

I lived in Colindale throughout WW2, 8 years old just after VE Day. We were quite lucky with the bombing compared with much of London. It was sometime during the autumn or winter of 44/45 on a Friday evening at about 8 p.m. I was upstairs with my mother being put to bed when we both heard a most peculiar noise which I can only describe as a ‘Whoosh’. There was no explosion so life carried on as usual. The following morning, out to ‘play’ as usual I met other boys who told me something had happened in ‘Court Way’ a road about 200 yards away (as the bomb flies) from my home. I went around and joined a bunch of people watching the recovery of something quite bulky which had become embedded in the front garden of one of the houses. Subsequent examination of pictures in later life enabled me to realise that the lump being recovered was the rocket motor of a V2. This V2 had apparently broken up in mid air, whether or not the warhead exploded I know not, all I know is of the bit that came down in the front garden, had it hit a house it would have inflicted heavy damage.
On reflection I suppose that this would have been considered a very important find for the scientists etc. as there had probably been few other occasions of bits of V2 arriving relatively intact, especially the means of propulsion. I wonder if anyone knows what became of this, perhaps the Americans commandeered it in the same way they commandeered Werner von Braun later on, to help with their weapons development and eventual journey to the moon?

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