Dorothy Edwards - 1946

1946. Dorothy, Jack (John) and Betsey Edwards.

The family was living in West Derby, Liverpool and young Dorothy was sweet sixteen.


This picture was taken in Llangollen in North Wales, a lovely little market town on the edge of the river Dee.

The second World War had been over for almost a year and Dorothy was reunited with her mum and dad after being evacuated to North Wales. Around 130,000 people were evacuated from Merseyside during the war. Most came from around areas Germany was expected to target, like South Liverpool, the docks and oil storage sites, West Derby was in the expected blitz zone.

In 1939, at the age of nine, she was placed on a train at Liverpool Lime Street, along with a large group of her school friends, a name tag attached to her coat. It was true that a lot of children had a difficult time when away from their families during the war years, but Dorothy remembered those years, billeted with a family in a small village outside of Chester, as some of the most exciting and adventurous of her life, she was a self confessed tomboy and loved the country life and escapades with her new found friends.

John Edwards, who was called Jack had volunteered during the war as a part time firefighter, he was working during the day as a van driver, delivering furniture, evenings and sometimes late nights spent fighting blazes throughout the heavily bombed streets of south Liverpool.

Fusilier Arthur Weldon - 1944

Arthur was called up for his British National Service in September 1944 when he was 18 years old and was officially enlisted on the 16th November 1944.


He served in the Royal Irish Fusiliers and told me stories of being a "half track" driver in Palestine, this was a type of vehicle that had wheels at the front and tracks at the back. His service with the "Middle East Force" was from the 16th September 1945 thru to the 4th September, 1947.

He told stories of the heat, of driving those half track vehicles and of the constant threat from scorpions, terror attacks and chafing. The rule about scorpions was to always check your boots before slipping them on....

14875099 Fusilier Arthur Weldon was "A young soldier who works well in the right job. He is both sober and honest, also very clean. Should be a useful type of man" according to his testimonial from Officer Brady of Ballykinlar, the commanding depot of the Royal Irish Fusiliers (dated 2nd January 1948). If any of you out there have more information about the depot, please let me know.

Arthur was released to the Royal Army Reserve on the 23rd of March, 1948 when he received his demob suit and cardboard case.

His final discharge from Reserve liability did not arrive until the 30th June, 1959.

Total Service with the colours. 16th November 1944 thru 22nd March, 1948.

Thanks Dad.

Arthur Weldon. (1926 – 2000)

Dorothy Margaret Edwards - Tree

Here is my mums immediate family tree:

Arthur Herbert Weldon - Tree

So, before we get carried away, lets drop some facts into the process. This is my dads immediate family tree :

The Blog Concept

I've introduced the core family, and now I'd like to introduce the concept of this blog, which, hopefully, will have a defined direction, unlike some of my other attempts at blogging.

Arthur Weldon, the fine young man who was married in the photo, was my father and he died on June the 9th, 2000. The lovely lady, Dorothy Edwards, who was now a Weldon, died less than two years later on February the 24th, 2002.

In the years that followed I became somewhat of a family historian, researching through the family tree, trying to answer a lot of the questions I should have asked when they where alive, trying to fill a void that was left when they died.

The blog will be a scrapbook, of facts, stories, anecdotes and my memories of the Weldon family and friends, hopefully a precursor to a book that I will write one day.

Introducing the core Family - 1952

Introducing some of the people discussed or to be discussed in this blog:




Front and centre, the Hairdresser and the Taxi Driver. Dorothy (Edwards) and Arthur Weldon. Their wedding day, March 29th, 1952

The tall guy at the back, left hand side is my Grandfather on my mums side, "Jack" Edwards, his wife is far left "Betsey". The chap peaking over my dads shoulder is his father, my other Grandfather, and his wife Margaret, dressed in that big fur coat, is standing proudly in front.

There are three more people in the photo, peeking out of the church is my Auntie Alda and the best man, Stanley Weldon is at the top right and the maid of honour, Mary Wright is front left, next to my mum.