Mary Myfanwy Denison [née Roberts] 1912 -1998

Mary Roberts was born on 1st May 1912 to a Welsh Chapel family in Wrexham, North Wales. She had two elder siblings [and was very close to her brother John Charles] and two younger siblings [and was very close to her sister Hilda] all of whom went to Grove Park School in Wrexham. Mary's father, Robert Roberts, had come down from his hill sheep-farming, Welsh speaking family in the Berwyn Mountains to seek his fortune and, modestly, had done so by starting hardware and china shops.

Mary [aged 18] and John Roberts in 1930
John [later Squadron Leader RAF in WWII]

Finally, in 1942 [after John had finally persuaded his parents to let him give up his "respectable bank job" and joined the RAF] both Mary & Hilda joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force [W.A.A.F.] and were posted to a Barrage Balloon Centre, Fazakerley about eleven miles from Liverpool. The barrage balloons were intended to obstruct low flying enemy bombers from approaching Liverpool - with mixed success.
No.8 Balloon Centre Command 1942 Fazakerley, Liverpool which administered No.'s 919, 920 & 921 (Balloon) Squadrons which provided the Liverpool barrage. It was located at Lime Tree Farm, Fazakerley

Mary Myfanywy Roberts {aged 30 years} Left hand end in the back row
Hilda {"Sam"}Roberts [later Lloyd] Third from the left in the front row

Mary in her own words remembered being "a rather stroppy volunteer who thought she might win the War almost on her own. Upon arrival at Fazakerley she was, therefore, sent to the Stores for a "long weight" which she thought was a balloon part. The Stores Sergeant then certainly gave her a "long wait" - about 3 hours". I returned duly chastised!" This did not seem to impair on her later selection for Office Training and she duly joined thirty-one other candidates at Lake Windermere Officer Corps Training Unit know as an O.C.T.U.

Women's Auxiliary Air Force ["W.A.A.F."]
Officer Corps Training Unit ["O.C.T.U."] at Windermere, England 1942
Graduating Class

Mary Myfanwy Roberts {aged 30} Left hand end standing on the ground

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During World War II Mary met and was married to AAD on 10th July 1944. Their son, David, was born on 7th May 1945, who later graduated as a Pilot Officer from the RAF College, Cranwell in March 1967.

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Mary and her husband were then posted to Berlin and later to other parts of Germany for five years.

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Mary & AAD retired to Sidmouth, Devon in the 1970's and "did their bit" for The British Legion by helping to fund raise. Mary died peacefully there in July 1998 having been widowed twice.

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"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them."