November 20, 2025 - 149 views
A wartime secretary who played a top secret role at North Wales RAF base has celebrated her 100th birthday.
Marian Williams, who was just 14 when the Second World War broke out, went to work as a teenaged secretary at a mansion near Beaumaris that was requisitioned by the RAF.
Her momentous milestone was marked with a lively party at Pendine Park’s Bryn Seiont Newydd care home in Caernarfon where staff and family gathered to honour her century of memories.
Daughter Nia Williams explained that her mother worked close to a busy RAF base on the Menai Strait where Catalina sea planes arrives to be taken into Allied service during the war.
More than 700 of the aircraft were delivered to the RAF from late-1941 onwards and used by various Coastal Command squadrons for reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrols and search and rescue missions.
"She would sit in on the meetings between the RAF officers and the Americans who were based in Beaumaris at the time and later type up the minutes,” said Nia.
“We didn't know this until just a few years ago and when we asked her what the meetings were about she didn't know. She just took the notes and typed them up she said.
On her big birthday, Marian was surrounded by cards from family, friends and King Charles.
Bryn Seiont staff had decorated the lounge with balloons and streamers and the chef had baked a special cake.
The centenarian, who hails from Bangor, Gwynedd, celebrated her very special day in the company of her daughter, Nia, her partner Melvyn and grandaughters Elin and Eleri.
Sadly Marian's son, Merwyn, was unable to attend the celebrations after he underwent surgery to remove a cataract earlier in the week.
Marian had no idea the celebration was being planned and was delighted when the surprise was sprung by staff.
"We really do appreciate the hard work being done here at Bryn Seiont Newydd with my mother and our thanks, as a family, goes to everyone who has helped put on this birthday celebration.
"It was absolutely fantastic and she was delighted to see everyone and open her cards and she even had a video call with her niece, who is also called Marian, in Florida."
Bryn Seiont manager Sandra Evans said: “We feel privileged to care for Marian in the twilight of her years and were delighted to organise a party to celebrate her 100thbirthday.
“I must confess we had no idea that she had played such a hush hush role during the Second World War – she was clearly a remarkable young woman who made an important contribution to the war effort.”
Marian was born on a Sunday when King George V, the current King’s great-grandfather, was the monarch. Conservative Stanley Baldwin was Prime Minister at the time. Film fans flocked that day to cinemas to see the newly released movies Phantom of the Opera which starred Lon Cheney and the Cecil B. DeMille-directed film The Road to Yesterday.
She was raised on a farm at Ty'n Ffridd in the Pentir area of Bangor with her brothers Eifion and Alwyn and sister Rodwen.
Marian went to school in Bangor, initially Ysgol Cae Top near the city's university and later the secondary modern school before following a secretarial course.
She met her future husband, Cynrig, during the war. He came from Rhiwlas, a village close to the family farm, and was serving with the Royal Welch Fusiliers. He saw service at Dunkirk and later in Burma.
The couple married soon after the end of the war and moved to London where Mr Williams completed a teacher training course. Marian and her husband remained in London for a short time before returning to North Wales. During his career Cynrig Williams taught at schools in Llangwm, Llanfairfechan and Deganwy where he was headmaster for many years.
After retirement Cynrig Williams was elected a councillor to the former Gwynedd Council before sadly passing away in 1991.
