The Bury St Edmunds Guildhall will be hosting a free exhibition in April 2023 which will explore romantic relationships formed in Suffolk during WWII and their consequences.
If you have a story about this subject that you would be happy to share, we would love to hear from you.
We shall be collecting your stories and displaying them as part of the exhibition – a wonderful opportunity to bring your memories to life.
During the Second World War, Suffolk saw a large influx of American GIs working on the airbases, and, in fewer numbers, German personnel in Prisoner of War camps and after the war, Polish families in resettlement camps. Many local service personnel faced deployment and spent long periods apart from loved ones with limited means of communication. The war impacted many aspects of people’s lives, including personal relationships, and created ripples that continue to be felt generations later. It resulted in the displacement of large groups of people far from home and exposed local populations to unfamiliar cultures and customs.
Under wartime conditions – separated from loved ones – unexpected bonds between individuals were forged and others were sadly broken. Through your stories, we would love to explore the highs, and the lows, of these wartime relationships.
Email your story to tellus@burystedmundsguildhall.org.uk by the 1 March 2023.