Wings Unseen, a Suzy Susan novel
A stirring portrait of sisterhood forged in conflict, this novel is both a tribute and a reclamation of the forgotten stories of heroic women.
England 1939. Women answer the call to defend their country, the first women to do so since Boadicea, two thousand years earlier. Among them are four remarkable women: Officer Diana Buckingham; Edith, a brilliant 19-year-old; Wamsay, a fearless Australian pilot; and Florence, a skilled aircraft mechanic. Together they serve at RAF Kenley, a vital fighter base holding the line against Nazi Germany.
When the Luftwaffe attacks, this unlikely sisterhood must hold their nerve under relentless bombing and strafing fire. They keep the fighters flying and the airbase operational, knowing that if they fail, Britain will fall. Inspired by the my mother’s memoirs, Wings Unseen shines a light on the courage, resilience, and unbreakable bonds of the women who served in the RAF. Amid the chaos of war, these women face love and loss, fear and detemination. They defied the rules the world had written for them and proved that ordinary women can do the extraordinary.
When the war is won, the women are sent back to homes and kitchens, dismissed to a life that no longer fits them. But waiting there is a new, insidious enemy: the creeping toll of untreated trauma and isolation. Now they face a different battle, fighting for their sanity, and their place in a world all to eager to forget them and the sacrifices they made.
Finally… this is their story
About
Suzy Susan
I’m the proud daughter of a WAAF Royal Air Force officer — that’s her in the photo. I’ve always loved writing stories about everyday women who do extraordinary things. Not just the rare ‘purple unicorns,’ but the generations of women who quietly stepped up, did what needed to be done, and so often went unrecognised.
Wings Unseen is my first novel, inspired by true events and my mother’s own service during the Second World War. It is both a tribute and a call to remember the 250,000 women who made up a quarter of the Royal Air Force ground crew, fighting for their country at its hour of greatest need.
My hope is that this story will inspire you to go looking for the hidden heroines in your own family tree, to bring their remarkable stories back into the light.
Keep in Touch
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/RealSuzySusan/
INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/realsuzysusan/
THREADS https://www.threads.com/@realsuzysusan
I’d really love to hear about your book club and why you chose Wings Unseen.
I’m choosing a few clubs for a friendly Zoom hangout so we can chat, swap stories, and celebrate these incredible women together. I can’t wait to meet you!
Listen
Uncover the Stories behind Wings Unseen

Mum Tells Her Story
Listen to this rare original recording of my mother recalling her time at RAF Limavady, where she trained pilots in torpedo attack techniques.

BBC Interview with Suzy Susan
In this recent BBC interview, I share how, while researching Wings Unseen, I discovered that the training dome still stood, though badly in need of restoration. I reached out to the Heritage Trust and using her story, they secured an £800,000 grant to restore the dome at RAF Limavady.

Suzy Susan Reads
1940 Northern Ireland
When Diana arrives at RAF Limavady, her mission is clear: train pilots to launch torpedoes against German battleships and lurking U-boats. But winning the trust of the young men whose lives rest in her hands proves to be an even greater challenge.
Reivews and Reflections
From My Readers, With Love
Looking at the title, I didn’t think I would enjoy this book, but when I finally got around to reading it.. Well!! I couldn’t put it down! It was so engrossing and so compelling – wow! It is the story of some ordinary women, who did extraordinary things in World War II. It describes many of the injustices they faced and how they overcame them with cleverness. It also describes the many skills they learned and the dangers they lived through. I laughed, I cried, I got so involved in their lives; what a wonderful experience.
I found out afterwards, that the characters were real people, with the names changed. The main character is based on the author’s mum.
I highly recommend this book.
Show LessMargaret
I was very intrigued by the title, but skeptical at the same time. But this book does not disappoint. You become somehow part of this story, which shows many facets how brave women fought in WW2. I was impressed that the author tells at the end which characters are fiction and which were real.
Show LessPete from NZ
This is a well written book which tells the story of young women in the WAAF during world war 2, the many difficult jobs they did to help keep the planes in the sky.
Women were performing well in jobs that they would never be offered due to the shortage of men for considerable less money than the male counterparts.
Robita
Great writing style that pulls you right in to the story from the get go. I learnt a lot about the women who helped in WWII, their bravery and dedication. I enjoyed all the characters and completion of their stories so you were not left hanging. Thank you for an honest and engaging story, it’s refreshing to find something different from the run of the mill story lines out there.
Show LessMichelle Williams
This is a wonderful debut historical fiction novel about the amazing work undertaken by women during WW2.
I love how the author weaves pieces of her own family history into this novel.
If you love WW2 historical fiction, then I highly recommend this novel!
Vicgirl78
Enlightening, inspiring and brimming with raw emotion, Wings Unseen takes you on a journey from pre-war Europe to latter day New Zealand through the lives, loves and losses of some of the bravest and most unsung people to have served their country, the brilliant heroes of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).
Drawing on personal and primary historical sources, Suzy Susan focusses on the service of Diana Buckingham who defies her parent’s plan for her life and joins a WAAF promising historic opportunities for women. Diana meets many colourful characters along the way and you will laugh at their antics, recoil at the horror they face, and cry as they mourn, hoping beyond hope that they will survive the clouds of war to see the sun shine again, uninterrupted by the ominous shadows of enemy aircraft.
Finally, you will share in the sense of injustice as these women return to civilian life to learn that despite being bombed in trenches, seeing their friends die before them and being murdered by fellow prisoners of war, they weren’t considered ‘on the front line’ enough to qualify for the support and recognition afforded their male counterparts, and were denied positions that they had proved themselves more than qualified for during the way effort.
Suzy Susan does such a brilliant job of bringing the trials and tribulations of her cast of actors to life that it is hard to believe that this is her first novel and I truly look forward to her future work.
Show LessQ Bennett
Incredible book, by NEW author depicting the female pilot role in World war 2. So many unheard stories with accurate descriptions of Historical events & gender inequality.
At the beginning of the century Women were active influencers during war time, in all aspects of life. The home, battlefield & in the air when the War needed fearless females more than ever.
There are many emotions the author invokes in this memoir to her mother.
This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day!
Katie
Visiting the Battle of Britain Bunker at RAF Uxbridge is like stepping straight into the heart of Wings Unseen. Hidden beneath an unassuming
It's time to gather with women, wine and wings unseen. I hope these discussion starters will create great conversations and a few laughs too.
Pavlova. New Zealand's national dessert. When Diana visited her aunt in New Zealand back in 1938, she enjoyed the trendiest new dessert on the scene:



