Film NLL 1940-1945 To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the National Aerospace Laboratory (NLL) in 1947, the Staff Association released a film that year. The NLL annual report mentions: “The 10th anniversary of the Foundation, which was commemorated on June 14, 1947, gave the Staff Association a good opportunity to organise sports competitions, while a festive evening was held, which included the film ‘The NLL during wartime’, which attracted great interest.”
The film consists of numerous fragments from inside and outside the NLL building, featuring several staff members who worked there, mostly recorded during World War II and during the liberation.
Some highlights include: The signing of the attendance list by incoming staff members, the staff entrance with a revolving door (traces of which are still visible between buildings 10 and 20), overnight stays at the NLL (especially during the Hunger Winter), following the Allied advance, the houses along the Sloterweg and the still barren surroundings, the company car, the manufacture of carbide lamps and heaters in the workshop, the transportation of coal by bicycle, the delivery and distribution of food, lunch at Bella Vista, air raid drills, BB exercises, sales at the gate, growing crops in the “garden”, the hasty departure of “der Beauftragte” on Dolle Dinsdag, the shooting range in the basement, food drops, the arrival of the Canadians with parades in Amsterdam, the retrieval of hidden machines, the celebration of the return of the commercial director from captivity, Churchill’s passage over the Sloterweg on his way to The Hague, and the first post-war flight with the NLL glider ‘Tromp’.
The following employees are recognisable to old-timers from NLR: Lucassen, Wynia, Greidanus, Buhrman, Chaillet (Commercial Director), Koning (Scientific Director), Van Oosterom, Van der Maas, Marx, Warsen, Käufl (Beauftragte) and Dröge.
At the time, only the main building, the wind tunnel building, and some sheds existed. The surrounding area was not yet built up. Visible are the high-rise buildings along the Westlandgracht and the Olympic Stadium. The Sloterweg in front of the main building was the main connection between Amsterdam and The Hague, lined with picturesque houses and farms.
The almost one-hour-long film, originally a silent film, must have been made by NLR’s own staff. Unfortunately, it is unknown who worked on the recordings and editing. To clarify, texts have been added that are sometimes humorous. In 2013, a volunteer from the NLR Heritage Preservation Foundation added music from that time, making the film more lively.
The film is owned by the NLR Heritage Preservation Foundation.