Flight Lieutenant Marjory Drummond, who has died aged 70, helped pave the way for thousands of women to join the Royal Air Force.

She was one of the first officers in the Womens' Royal Auxilliary Air Force to be trained as a fighter controller in the UK air defence system during the Cold War. Later she was awarded the Air

Efficiency Award.

In later life she devoted herself to a number of organisations as a volunteer and benefactor. Born in Edinburgh, Miss Drummond attended James Gillespie's High School for Girls. She joined the WRAAF in May 1949 as a radar operator with No 3603 (City of Edinburgh) fighter control Unit.

On disbandment of the unit in 1959 she joined the No 2 (City of Edinburgh) Maritime HQ unit. she retired from the WRAAF during the late 1960s. However, she maintained her interest in defence.

She attended extramural classes at Edinburgh University and was a member of Professor John Erikson's Defence Studies Group. The great contribution of her working life was made with the City Hospital Respiratory Disease Unit and the East of Scotland Lymphona Research Unit. Despite leaving school at 15, she graduated with a BA honours from the Open University in 1994

She served on the committee of the Scottish Youth Hostel Association and became a Friend of the City Arts Centre, the Royal Scottish Academy and the Talbot Rice Gallery.

Karen Rose, of the Royal Scottish Academy, said: ''She was an original member who attended all our lectures. She was a very lively character. She was very charming.

''She talked to people very readily about all the kinds of thing she was interested in. She supported us very well.''

She was a member of Craigmillar Golf Course and a volunteer at the Scottish Museum in Chambers Street. she was also a volunteer at the Lauriston Castle Museum.