Silver Wings takes flight!

A new heritage project honouring the 80^th anniversary of the end of World War II is taking shape in Norfolk. 

Presented by The Forum in partnership with the American Library, Silver Wings: The US Army Air Forces in WWII Norfolk puts a spotlight on the untold stories of American servicemen and women stationed in Norfolk during the war - and the British communities that welcomed them. 

Through oral histories, creative workshops, and community events, Silver Wings is bringing this shared history to life. From stories of jitterbug dancing and peanut butter to first-hand accounts of service and sacrifice, this year-long project aims to preserve the memories that shaped Norfolk during the war and the legacy that still resonates today. 

The project so far

Silver Wings began in early Spring with the launch of the project’s community workshops programme. With creative writing courses, research sessions and school outreach events, the programme offers free opportunities for people of all ages to develop skills in heritage, archive and oral history research.  

Highlights include: 

• WWII Community Researchers Course. Led by the American Library team, this 10-week course utilises the library’s incredible archive of books, film footage and recorded testimonies to uncover hidden histories.  

• Silver Wings: Oral History plays a key role in the wider Silver Wings project, as volunteers help uncover and preserve unknown stories. Interviews are already taking place, capturing firsthand accounts from local residents who remember the USAAF’s presence across Norfolk.   

• Kick The Dust are leading a programme of creative workshops with their Heritage Collectives, empowering young people aged 13–25 to get involved with arts and heritage.  

• A series of School Workshops will start after the Easter break, engaging primary school children with real-life stories of wartime Norfolk.  

• Silver Wings: Archive Creative Writing Course is also underway! Guided by Dr Suzanne Solomon from the University of East Anglia, this course invites participants to dive into WWII archives and transform history into powerful short stories or poems.  

We caught up with Dr Suzanne Solomon to see how the creative writing course is going: 

“We’re introducing our writers to archival objects donated by veterans, family members and others with a connection to the history and asking them to create a short story or poem inspired by the item they chose. This might be a photograph, a memoir, a piece of artwork, a uniform, a silk escape map or a pair of silver wings.” 

Suzanne continues – “We’re halfway through the course and already our writers have begun to put together a biographical profile for their object and to create a fictional timeline.

The group is composed of people of all ages, with varied backgrounds and levels of experience in creative writing. What they share is their curiosity about the ‘Friendly Invasion' eighty years on, and the creative spark to animate its history in an engaging and original way. I’m excited to see what they come up with!” 

Save the date: 12-21 September 2025

All of this work will come together in a free, ten-day exhibition and event series, taking place Friday 12 – Sunday 21 September 2025 at The Forum, as part of Norfolk Heritage Open Days. 

The Silver Wings exhibition will be a celebration of shared history - showcasing archival discoveries, oral history recordings, and the creative writing and artwork developed throughout the project.  

And don’t forget to mark your calendars for Saturday 13 September, where a 1940s-style street party will be coming to The Forum – complete with swing dancing, military vehicles, live music, and food! 

An exciting programme of talks, guided city walks, and exhibition tours will further bring Norfolk’s rich wartime history to life, highlighting the lasting impact and legacy of the United States Army Air Forces across Norfolk. 

Full programme details will be announced in July, with tickets for bookable events released in August as part of Heritage Open Days 2025.  

For anybody who wants to find out more about Silver Wings: The US Army Air Forces in Norfolk during WWII, please contact [email protected]

Silver Wings is presented by The Forum in partnership with the American Library, Memorial to the 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, United States Army Air Forces. 

Silver Wings is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and supported by The Paul Bassham Charitable Trust, The Second Air Division Memorial Trust, The Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust, Anguish's Educational Foundation and Norwich Freemen's Charity.