Memorial V1 Bomb

This plaque commemorates the fall of a V1 bomb in the Waterkwartier on 18 February 1945. The explosion killed at least 4 people.

V1 bomb impact
On February 18, 1945, disaster struck in the Waterkwartier, a neighborhood in Nijmegen. In February 1945, Nijmegen was a front city, which meant that it was almost continuously under (the threat of) fire. The V1 bomb in question struck on February 18 at two minutes to half past five in the morning, on the corner of Biezenstraat and Waterstraat. The impact killed four local residents and twenty-five houses had to be rebuilt. In addition, dozens were injured, including a number of British soldiers stationed in Nijmegen.

Commemoration
After the end of the Second World War in 1945, a monument was already placed on the site of the impact. On the monument was the following text: "Unless the lord builds the house, the workmen labor in vain". In 1949, however, this monument was removed again in connection with the reconstruction of the houses destroyed by the impact. On February 18, 2010, a new monument was placed on the initiative of concerned local residents from the Waterkwartier. This is a plaque with a less revealing text, namely: "In memory of the victims of the V1 bombing on February 18, 1945". The unveiling was provided by J. van der Broek and B. Plönes, relatives of victims.

Since 2010, an annual commemoration has taken place at the plaque, in which the local primary school - Kindercentrum Aquamarijn - is also involved.

Booklet
The plaque and the commemorations are an initiative of Anton Ruijters, who experienced the V1 bombing as a 15-year-old. After his death in 2013, his son Ronald continued this with a commemoration committee. In 2020, a booklet was published with stories from surviving residents and other stories about this V1 bomb impact. This booklet can be ordered via ronaldruijters@hotmail.com.

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Source

• Text: Ronald Ruijters, Fedor de Vries
• Photos: Jimmy Hilgen