Bletchley Park

July 2022 Eighty years ago, in July 1942 the Allies suffered one of their most notorious losses of World War 2. The Merchant ship convoy PQ 17, carrying supplies to Russia was attacked in the Arctic seas by German aircraft and submarines. Out of 34 merchant ships in the convoy only 11 made it safely to Russia. The incident has become symbolic of the suffering and endurance of those involved in the Arctic convoys. In this episode we revisit the events of July 1942 as well as the wider naval war in the Arctic, in order to put PQ17 in context. How typical were the losses to PQ17? Just how effective was the German campaign against the convoys to Russia? And what part did intelligence from Bletchley Park play in these events? As usual we are joined by Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to tell us more. Very special thanks go to Owen Moogan for voicing our archival documents. Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Alan Strip Harry Hinsley Image: HMS Victorious on escort duty. Mick Chalkley (Fleet Air Arm 1939-45) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #PQ17

June 2022 In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode we return to South Asia and the Pacific, and the war against the Japanese. After the disasters of Pearl Harbor, the Philippines and Singapore, and near disaster in Colombo in the first few months of 1942, the summer months would bring the Allies better fortune on the fighting fronts. 1942 would also see many changes for Britain’s Codebreakers in South and East Asia as they rushed to adapt to the changing situation – a situation requiring the service of men and women from surprisingly diverse backgrounds and communities. As usual we are joined by Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to tell us more. Grateful thanks to Sarah Langston and Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Edward Simpson Pat Johnston Image: US Navy, Naval Photographic Centre (Public Domain) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Midway80

May 2022 The way in which the secrets of Bletchley Park were finally revealed to the world, bit by bit and now over the course of nearly four decades have meant that many myths and misunderstandings have become embedded in the story. One of our goals with these podcasts is to tell the full story of the Codebreakers and along the way hopefully correct some of those errors. So in this ‘It Happened Here’ episode we will take a deep dive into Traffic Analysis, a topic that we have mentioned in many episodes and for years has been thought of as just another step in the ‘path of breaking a message’. Our research officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham, will argue that in fact it was a fully-fledged source of intelligence in its own right. He will guide us through not only the history and processes of Traffic Analysis but also those of SIXTA, the section at Bletchley Park most famously known for producing it. Very special thanks go to Dr Ben Thomson and Owen Moogan for voicing our archival documents. This episode features recordings of SIXTA Veteran, Jimmy Thirsk, from both our Podcast and Oral History Archives. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #TheIntelligenceFactory

May 2022Bletchley Park held a number of events to celebrate the opening of The Intelligence Factory and in this special episode we will take you to those events to hear from VIP guests, supporters and some of the people who helped to create our largest exhibition to date.From the ‘Friends of Bletchley Park’ Preview we will hear from some of the first people who got to follow in the footsteps of our Veterans, in the newly restored Block A.Dr Emily Scott-Dearing, the Interpretation Lead for The Intelligence Factory, explains how you tell the complex story of thousands of people working for the Government Code and Cypher School during the latter half of WW2.At our VIP Opening we will be joined by broadcaster and History Hit star, Dan Snow, to hear how the new exhibition expands the codebreaking story and what it can teach us today. Then Dan is joined by Research Historian Dr David Kenyon, GCHQ Departmental Historian Dr David Abrutat and Intelligence Historian Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall for a panel discussion.To find out how you can become a ‘Friend of Bletchley Park’ please go to https://bletchleypark.org.uk/friends/ Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #TheIntelligenceFactory

April 2022 Thursday 28th April 2022 sees Bletchley Park unveiling its largest exhibition to date, in the newly restored Block A. Its focus is the period from late 1942 to early 1945, when the demands of its crucial wartime work changed the Government Code and Cypher School from a ‘cottage industry’ into an industrial-scale intelligence operation. The name of the exhibition is, very aptly, ‘The Intelligence Factory’. Block A was the first of the purpose-built ‘Block’ buildings that marked the scaling up of the codebreaking operation. Therefore it is fitting that it houses this major new addition to Bletchley Park’s visitor experience. Exhibitions Manager Erica Munro will take listeners through the same corridors that were at the very heart of the expanding top secret site 80 years ago. Join us on an exclusive preview tour to uncover the stories, displays and activities that visitors can explore as they walk in the footsteps of our Veterans. It took a huge team of people to create ‘The Intelligence Factory’ and for this special behind-the-scenes episode, Research Historian Dr David Kenyon and Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham will also be taking us through the rigorous historical research that underpins the entire exhibition. Tomatoes, oars and coal-fired boilers don’t normally spring to mind when thinking of WW2 codebreaking - find out what part they played in the story of the scaling up of Bletchley Park. This episode features the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Rozanne Colchester Sheila Willson Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #TheIntelligenceFactory

March 2022Bletchley Park is synonymous with World War Two codebreaking, but the story is much bigger than just a country house in Buckinghamshire. Making, as well as breaking codes, was within the remit of the Government Code and Cypher School but is a much lesser known part of the story.In this extended ‘It Happened Here’ episode, we not only find out about the British efforts to create codes of their own, but also German codebreaking successes and failures. Bletchley Park’s Research Officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham, introduces us to the section of GC&CS creating Allied codes from the sleepy surroundings of a university college in Oxford. Whist Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon, explores the numerous German ‘Bletchley Parks’ whose task it was to break those very codes.British Codemakers and German Codebreakers, the two way traffic of the intelligence war. This episode features the following contributors from our Oral History Archive:June CoppockSergeant Bernard MorganImage: Mansfield College in the mid-20th century. © Mansfield College, Oxford#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory

February 2022 In every theatre of war, early 1942 was a dark time for the Allies. Japan seemed unstoppable in the Pacific. The Germans were at the gates of Moscow, threatening Egypt and prowling the Atlantic lifeline at sea. But at Bletchley Park there were far reaching changes to both the leadership and organisation that had one clear objective - to support the ultimate Allied victory. In this It Happened Here episode, our research officer Dr Thomas Cheetham, guides us through the dramatic changes that would transform GC&CS into an ‘Intelligence Factory’. Special thanks go to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.This episode features the following contributors from our Oral History Archive:Harry HinsleyJimmy ThirskStephen FreerImage: © George C. Marshall Foundation, Lexington, VA, USA#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory

January 2022 The Podcast Team wish all our listeners a Very Happy New Year and how better to start it than with some great news. With over 13,500 names so far, The Bletchley Park Roll of Honour aims to list all those who worked in signals intelligence for the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries during the Second World War. As no single list of the personnel of Bletchley Park and its outstations was ever produced, the Roll of Honour has been compiled from information in official sources, publications and, most importantly, that provided by the Veterans themselves, their former colleagues and families.In this episode, Podcast Producer Mark Cotton sits down with Oral History Officer Jonathan Byrne to talk about the online return of this vital research tool, what it contains and how Veterans and their families can help us to continue adding to it. He also updates us on the Oral History Project and shares some highlights from recordings made in 2021.The Bletchley Park Roll of Honour can be found at: https://bletchleypark.org.uk/roll-of-honour/ This episode features the following contributors from our Oral History Archive:Sheila WilsonEric ColesLola MarsdenImage: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory

December 2021 On the 7th of December 1941, Japanese invasion forces landed in Malaya. An hour and a half later Japanese aircraft attacked the US fleet, at anchor in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Simultaneous attacks were also made on Hong Kong, Guam, Wake Island and the Philippines. Since that day controversy has raged over how much the British and US Governments knew in advance about these attacks, and why they came as such a surprise to both countries. In this It Happened Here episode, Bletchley Park’s Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon examines the intelligence background to the ‘Day of Infamy’ and explores just what British and US codebreakers really knew about Japanese plans. Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Stephen Freer Edward Simpson Image: US Army Green Books (Public Domain) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #PearlHarbor80

November 2021 Many visitors to Bletchley Park are familiar with the story of breaking Enigma and reading German and even Japanese codes. But equally important work was done on Italian ciphers.Not only were the Codebreakers able to read Italian naval messages, before and during the war, but this information was used to decisive effect in the Battle for North Africa, and the ultimate defeat of Italy in 1943.In this It Happened Here episode, Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon reveals the secrets of one of Bletchley Park’s lesser-known decryption successes.As always, grateful thanks go to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive:Mavis BateyRozanne ColchesterImage: HM Fulmine from the Private Archive of Burzagli Family (Public Domain)#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

October 2021 On the 21st of October 1941, four of Bletchley Park’s Codebreakers sent a plea for more staff and resources in a now notorious letter to the Prime Minister. Demand for Bletchley Park’s work was increasing, and the organisation was facing a crisis. Churchill was won over, adding the note ‘Action This Day’ to the document. But perhaps the changes that followed weren’t just the result of the Prime Minister’s influence.In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, Dr Thomas Cheetham explores the problems the Codebreakers were facing and how this letter was only part of the wider story.Thanks as always for voicing our archival documents to Dr Ben Thomson, and to Geoffrey Welchman who recreates the letter co-authored by his grandfather.Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive:Sir Arthur BonsallElizabeth MarshallMimi GallileeArnold HargreavesGwendoline HerbertBarbara HartJudith WainerImage: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

September 2021 After Britain’s failure at Dunkirk and the Fall of France, the Germans seemed unstoppable. An invasion of Britain by Germany seemed the next logical step.In 1940, Britain and Bletchley Park prepared for war on the Home Front. As the German air campaign brought air combat with the Battle of Britain and bombs by night during the Blitz, the RAF - supported by intelligence from Bletchley Park - fought back.In this It Happened Here episode, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham is our guide to Britain’s finest hour.Special thanks go to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.In memoriam to the Veterans featured in this episode, Rolf Noskwith, Eileen Younghusband and Sir Arthur Bonsall.Image: Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspecting members of Coventry's Warden Service. ©Mirrorpix#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #BOB80,

August 2021 Hindsight and the lifting of decades of secrecy, allows us to know that by 1945 Bletchley Park had become a ‘codebreaking factory’ supplying war winning intelligence to the Allies ultimate victory. But what was it like for the 185 members of staff on Monday the 4th of September 1939? And … who were they?Supported by the UK government’s Culture Recovery Fund, our new exhibition ‘Early Days’ covers the events of 1938 to late 1939 and tells the story of the first Bletchley Park Codebreakers.Exhibitions Manager Erica Munro guides us through the 5 scenes of the exhibition, the challenges of turning the start of the codebreaking story into a physical gallery and many of the highlights visitors will see. All of this, within one of the first rooms to be used by the Codebreakers in autumn 1939. As his first major project when start at the museum, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham, explains the painstaking work that has gone into the least documented period of Bletchley Park. This has led to being able to list every one of those 185 members of staff turning up for work on the second day of World War Two.Special thanks go to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

July 2021 In late 2020 we asked on social media for any questions our listeners wanted the podcast team to answer. We had so many that we needed to record a second episode that originally we had planned for January 2021. Unfortunately due to COVID restrictions this wasn’t possible … but now, we are back. In this episode, Exhibitions Manager Erica Munro, Research Historian Dr David Kenyon, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham and podcast producer Mark Cotton, will be shining a light on some famous Bletchley Park myths and answering some fascinating questions from our brilliant listeners. Many thanks to our listeners and followers for setting us these challenges. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

June 2021 Eighty years ago in June 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in what Hitler hoped would be a lightning campaign to destroy Bolshevism and provide ‘living space’ for his empire in the east. The result was four years of brutal conflict which shaped the world we live in today.What did the codebreakers at Bletchley Park know about the Germans’ plans of attack? Was Stalin warned? And how did the war in the east play out at BP?In this It Happened Here episode we are joined by our Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to tell us more about the signals intelligence picture on the eastern front.Special thanks go to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.Image: Public Domain#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory, #AudioMo

June 2021 By late May 1940 the Germans have arrived at the French coast, cutting the Allied forces in two. Their risky invasion plan ‘Fall Gelb’ (or ‘Case Yellow’) has paid off. For the Allies, things will only get worse - an evacuation of the British forces from Dunkirk, the capture of Paris and the ultimate humiliation at Compiègne. It also marked a turning point for Bletchley Park. The attack led the Germans to change their Enigma procedures which had been exploited so successfully by the Hut 6 team. It took a creative approach, as well as some lazy enemy operating procedures, to restore Bletchley Park’s capability in reading German messages. In the second part of this special ‘It Happened Here’ episode, Dr Thomas Cheetham guides us through the dramatic world events that could have seen Bletchley Park lose the ability to read Enigma for the rest of the war. Special thanks go to Gus Munro and Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

June 2021 In May 1940, the much-anticipated German attack on France brings the Phoney War to an end. The French have the largest land army in the world, the Maginot Line giving them hundreds of miles of defences and they know the route the Germans will take. But in the space of only a few weeks, the entire strategic course of World War Two is turned on its head. The Germans have gambled on a new invasion plan, ‘Fall Gelb’ (or ‘Case Yellow’) to set them on a risky route through the Ardennes and a dash to the coast.With so many dramatic events happening in such a short period of time, we will be telling the story of ‘Fall Gelb’ over two ‘It Happened Here’ episodes.In this first part, Dr Thomas Cheetham takes us through the planning and first phases of the operation, and the German and Allied intelligence activity that surrounded it. Special thanks go to Sarah Langston and Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.Image: Commander Denniston’s 1940 Diary ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

April 2021 Patricia Johnston’s idyllic childhood in Rangoon came to an abrupt end on the 7th of December 1941, with the attack on Pearl Harbour. In early 1942 with the Japanese invasion getting ever closer she was flown out with her siblings and arrived in India, without her parents. After settling her two brothers in boarding school Patricia’s war really began. She realised after completing her training that nursing wasn’t for her and transferred to the recently formed Women's Auxiliary Corps. Following a first posting in a Camouflage School and receiving a commission, her link to Bletchley Park began when she joined an SLU Unit as an Intelligence Officer. Based at military command posts around the world Special Liaison Units received Ultra reports via secure links run by Special Communication Units. They then passed this intelligence directly on to the commanders in the field to ensure the Ultra secret was protected. Oral History Volunteer Mike Chapman joins Pat to travel back 75 years to map out not only Pat’s wartime service but also that of her husband and fellow Bletchley Park Veteran, Bill Sanglier. We hear of her embarrassment of paying school fees with damp money, the Japanese pilot she said a prayer for, how an infamous Cold War Russian spy was taught to cook curry by Pat’s mother and how working in Military Intelligence could at times feel like living in cloud cuckoo land. Image, courtesy of Mrs Patricia Johnston. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

April 2021 Bletchley Park’s latest temporary exhibition is called ‘Never Alone’ and asks ‘what happens when everything is connected?’ Based on an exhibition developed and designed by the National Science and Media Museum, ‘Never Alone’ explores the popularity and power of smart devices. There are now more devices connected to the internet than people on the planet. ‘Smart’ gadgets are becoming part of our lives, making us safer, bringing people together and making everyday tasks easier. In the exhibition, we explore the issues behind these gadgets. We discover some wartime objects and stories that show how concerns about privacy and surveillance aren’t unique to the internet age. You are invited to think about the decisions you make when you click ‘OK’, and to consider what being connected means to you. In this episode we meet two people who have loaned us objects for display, ethical hacker Ken Munro of Pen Test Partners and local museum professional Amy Doolan. We start by taking a tour of the exhibition in Hut 12. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

April 2021 Our Veterans who served in one of the three women’s auxiliary services during World War Two are always proud of their particular branch and WAAF Daphne Canning is no exception. When Oral History Officer Jonathan Byrne interviewed her in 2017 she was still proud to have worn her ‘Sparks’ badge; the insignia of a Royal Air Force Wireless Operator. These Oral History Specials allow us to bring you the complete recordings of interviews we have previously featured only as much shorter versions. In this episode, Daphne, who volunteered at 17½, tells us about becoming a Wireless Operator, then later a Morse Slip Reader and also how she survived a being hit by a V1 rocket. This interview is really three for the price of one because Daphne also tells us the stories of her father and her husband. All three of them linked not just as family but as Wireless Operators helping the Codebreakers at Bletchley Park. Image, courtesy of Mrs Daphne Canning. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

March 2021 In our last Oral History Special we brought you the first part of a 2017 interview with former WREN, Mary Sherrard. From 1942 until the end of the war, Mary served at Bletchley Park and then at the Eastcote Bombe Outstation. This helped shaped the rest of her life because it was at Eastcote where she met her future husband John. After originally servicing Spitfires in 1940, an interview at the Foreign Office sent John to Eastcote and Stanmore to maintain Mary’s Bombe machines. By the time of his demob from the RAF in 1946, he had risen to the rank of Warrant Officer and married his “Scot’s girl”. In this second part, Mary talks to Oral History Volunteer Mike Chapman about not only her time at GC&CS but also shares John’s story. We hear about the rest of the war and also their fascinatingly varied post-war lives. These two episodes are tributes to both Mary (1923-2020) and John (1921-1999). Image ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

March 2021 In March 1946, as an ‘Iron Curtain’ was descending across Europe, in post-war London a document was signed that to this day is the basis of the most important and longest intelligence relationship that the UK has. But that Special Relationship with the USA didn’t suddenly begin 75 years ago; it was the culmination of five years of wartime collaboration. In this episode Podcast Producer, Mark Cotton, and our Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon, go back to February 1941 and look at each of the milestones that led up to the signing of the UKUSA Agreement – five years that forged a Special Relationship. Special thanks to Steven Eric Wilson and Mr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #GCHQ,

February 2021 To keep you going during the lockdown, the podcast team will be bringing you a new episode every two weeks. Last year we featured short clips from dozens of our Veterans telling us what they did on VE Day & VJ Day. Now in these Oral History Specials we can bring you the longer versions of those interviews, allowing our Veterans to tell their full story, in their own voices and in their own way. Vital to us capturing these interview are a team of brilliant volunteers who visit our Veterans at home to record them. In this episode we join one of those Oral History Volunteers, Mike Chapman, who in 2017 travelled up to the Scottish Borders to interview Mary Sherrard. Mary recorded a fascinating and especially long interview with Mike which we are going to bring you in two parts. In this first part Mary tells us about joining the Women’s Royal Naval Service and arriving at Bletchley Park in 1942. Image ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

February 2021 As we did last year we have decided to release extra content again during the current lockdown and so for at least the next couple of months we will be bringing you a new show every two weeks. These will be a mixture of Oral History Specials and also our regular content as and when COVID restrictions allow us. Last year we featured short clips from dozens of our Veterans telling us what they did on VE Day & VJ Day. Now in these Oral History Specials we can bring you the longer versions of those interviews, allowing our Veterans to tell their full story, in their own voices and in their own way. In early 2020, in what would become one the last interviews carried out just weeks before the pandemic, our Oral History Officer, Jonathan Byrne and his colleague Will Hankey sat down with GC&CS Veteran Tim Edwards. Previously we heard what Tim got up to on the day the war ended in Europe and now we can bring you much more of that interview. Tim’s reminisces about how the discovery of an eyesight problem suddenly stopped his training to be a pilot in the RAF and landed him at Bletchley Park working on German Air Force codes. Image ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

January 2021 As we release this episode Bletchley Park Museum is currently closed as the UK is in a national lockdown to help contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Our staff and volunteers like so many around the world are in lockdown, self-isolation or working remotely from home. Unfortunately it means the promised second part of our Q&A’s from our listeners is on-hold for now, but once we are safe to do so we will bring you that show. As we did last year during the first lockdown we will endeavour to continue to bring you new episodes of the podcast. With that in mind we thought back to our VE & VJ Day episodes from last year which included very short clips from dozens of our more than 500 Oral History recordings. So until we can resume our ‘normal service’ it seems the perfect time to shine a light on our Veterans by bringing you the full versions of some of those interviews, in these Oral History Specials. For the first of these special shows we have selected Sheila Wilson who came to Bletchley Park in 1944 to serve in the Naval Section plotting Allied shipping. A post-war career which included becoming a Psychotherapist has given Sheila a truly deep and at times existential view of her time at GC&CS. This makes her interview, which was recorded in 2015, simply fascinating. But first, before lockdown, we sat down with Jonathan Byrne to talk about why collecting the Oral Histories of our Veterans is so vitally important. Image ©Bletchley Park Trust 2021 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #OralHistory,

December 2020 At the end of each year we like to focus on the important work that our Oral History Officer Jonathan Byrne and his team of staff and volunteers carry out. As with so many around the world, COVID-19 has had a huge effect on the work of Jonathan’s team in 2020. In this episode we catch-up with Jonathan for an update on the Oral History Project and he shares four more highlights from our archive of 550 interviews. Gwen Adsley was a civilian working in the Communications Section from 1942. Food, or the lack of it, is an abiding memory for her so being able to get an unexpected loaf of bread was a real pleasure. Trixie Davison wanted to do her bit after the Blitz on London and become a Radar Operator so left her Civil Service job and joined the ATS. A problem with her eyesight meant she was transferred to work at Kedleston Hall and Forest Moor Y stations as an intercept operator. Roy Maycock was 6 years old on the day that war was declared and living in what was then the village of Bletchley. During the war his family had both children evacuated from London and Bletchley Park staff billeted on them. Molly Morgan wanted to serve her country, so defying her father’s wishes, resigned from her reserved occupation at The Bank of England and joined the WRNS. Instead of a posting by the sea she was sent to Buckinghamshire to work in the Naval Section alongside Frank Birch. We would like to wish all our listeners a safe and Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year for 2021. Image courtesy of Gwen Adsley#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

November 2020 For the first time since January 2020 the podcast team were able to be physically in the same room together, even if socially distanced. So to mark this return we decided to ask our listeners on social media for their questions about Bletchley Park. In this, the first of these shows, Exhibitions Manager Erica Munro, Research Historian Dr David Kenyon, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham and podcast producer Mark Cotton, will hopefully answer those questions and maybe do a bit of myth busting along the way. Many thanks to our listeners and followers for setting us these challenges. Special thanks, as always, go to Mr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

October 2020 For over 8 years the podcast has been privileged to receive help and support from the modern day version of the wartime Government Code and Cypher School, GCHQ, both as an organisation and from their Departmental Historian. Previous listeners will know that GCHQ has a new Historian and in Podcast Episode 98, we had the honour of being able to exclusively reveal his identity when we met him at the GCHQ Centenary celebrations at the National Memorial Arboretum in November 2019. We promised then that we’d catch up with him again, and this month we’re doing just that. Podcast producer Mark Cotton sat down with Dr David Abrutat, the recently avowed Departmental Historian at GCHQ, to find out about his life, his service and what he has planned for his “dream job”. Image: ©GCHQ #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #GCHQ,

September 2020 This is the last of three special episodes to mark what would have been our Annual Veterans Reunion. It was due to COVID-19 restrictions and with huge regret that Bletchley Park Trust had to take the difficult decision not to hold this year’s reunion on-site. But here at the podcast we can still celebrate our Veterans with these special episodes. At a reunion we like to capture as many Veterans stories as we can, but we also always remember that it is their special day and we try not to interrupt it too much for them. Some chats may just be a quick hello and how are you and some might end up with a short interview. But for some Veterans, it might be the first time they have been asked to talk about their vital war work and we are always honoured to be on hand to save their story for future generations. In this, the last of these special episodes, we’re bringing you nearly 80 minutes from another 12 of our amazing Veterans, including a few of those longer interviews. Featured in this episode, in order of appearance are: Doris Moss Mollie Brewster Pamela Forbes Betty Webb Elizabeth Davies Marigold Angela Bostock-Wilson Diana Tyler Margaret Thomas Bartrum Robinson Edna Garbutt Pauline Lee Tom Howie We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Veterans of Bletchley Park and its Outstations, for their service. Special thanks to Katherine Lynch, Sarah Langston and Kerry Howard. Image: ©Will Amlot for the Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

September 2020 As we explained in the last show, due to COVID-19 restrictions and with huge regret, Bletchley Park Trust had to take the difficult decision not to host our Annual Veterans Reunion onsite this year. To continue to mark what would have been this year’s reunion, this is the second of three special episodes we will be bringing you this month, to still pay tribute to our Veterans. Reunion is always the busiest day of the year for the podcast, catching up with old friends & rushing around trying to make sure that we can record as many Veterans as we can but it hasn’t just been our original co-host Katherine Lynch and producer Mark Cotton. We have also had help from a group of people we like to call our roving reporters. They are friends of the podcast who kindly give their time to help us allow the Veterans’, to tell their stories, in their own voices. We want to thank everyone who has helped us at each reunion since 2012 but especially those featured in this episode, Sarah Langston, Kerry Howard, Astrid Specht, Helen Legh and of course Katherine Lynch. The Veterans featured in this episode, in order of appearance are: Flo ColeCicely AndersonMimi GallileeKay WingateNancy ClarkGeoffrey PidgeonPat DaviesChristine BroseJoan SmeatonMary HealEric Dodd We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Veterans of Bletchley Park and its Outstations, for their service. Image: ©Will Amlot for the Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

September 2020 Each year, to mark the arrival of the Codebreakers to their war station in 1939, we hold our Veterans Reunion. This is the highlight of our calendar year, and a really special occasion for all involved. Veterans can meet up with friends old and new and share stories of their vital and once top-secret wartime work. These events have taken on even more meaning in the past few years, for the Veterans, their families, and all those who work for Bletchley Park Trust today.It is with huge regret that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Bletchley Park Trust has taken the difficult decision not to host our Reunion onsite this year.To mark what would have been this year’s reunion, this is the first of three special episodes we will be bringing you this month, not just the highlights of the last 8 years that the Podcast has attended but also from the very first Reunion in 1991, the one that started the campaign to Save Bletchley Park.The Veterans featured in this episode, in order of appearance are:Joan ClarkeDerek TauntRaymond GoodmanRosamond TwinnRosemary DavidsonPeter TwinnRolf NoskwithBetty WebbMary WatkinsJoyce BigoniStanley CleggEric HumeJeff HoareFred TerrettaAudrey HodgesJane FawcettWe would like to take this opportunity to thank the Veterans of Bletchley Park and its Outstations, for their service.Special thanks to Katherine Lynch, Sarah Langston and Mr Ben Thomson. Image: ©Will Amlot for the Bletchley Park Trust 2020#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

August 2020Nearly 3 months after VE Day, the war against Japan still continued. Its end would be drawn out over 6 weeks between the Potsdam Declaration in July and the final signing of the surrender on-board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September the 2nd. During those weeks the world saw the use of a new weapon, the atom bomb and both Hiroshima and Nagasaki would be totally destroyed before World War Two would finally come to an end.To commemorate VJ Day we present this special It Happened Here episode. Using archive recordings, a recreation of the memoir of Eric Norris and interviews with our Veterans from both our official Oral History Project and 8 years of podcasts, we hope to take you back to those momentous weeks in 1945.10 of our Veterans will share their memories, both happy and sometimes poignant, of the beginning of the Atomic Age, the end of the war, VJ Day and looking forward to the rest of their lives. Featured in order of appearance are:Sheila WillsonDennis GilleyDr Michael LoeweLady Marion BodyJoyce BogoniJoan SmeatonDennis UnderwoodBetty WebbGwendoline PageMargaret ThomasWe would like to take this opportunity to thank not just the Veterans of Bletchley Park and its Outstations, but all Veterans, for their service. Very special thanks go to Mr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.Image: Wrens in London on VJ Day. With grateful thanks to Mrs Joan Smeaton.#BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #BletchleyParkVJDay75, #VJDay75

July 2020 As COVID-19 struck we decided to start releasing these extra episodes to give you our listeners something extra each week while you were in lockdown. We are glad we could share so many previously unheard recordings that we just hadn’t been able to before and hopefully these shows have helped you through these extraordinary times, if even in a small way. Over the next few episodes we shall start to return to our more normal podcast episodes and eventually our It Happen Here shows too. It seems only fitting that as our last Intelligence Insight we look at how Bletchley Park has managed to finally reopen to the public. It’s been a long journey, which is still not over, but who better to hear from than some of our paid and volunteer staff who have made it happen. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma,

July 2020 Bletchley Park is an independent charity and so we rely on the ticket sales of our visitors for 95% of our operating costs, but another way to support the museum is to become a Friend of Bletchley Park. As a friend of Bletchley Park you not only get our normal free unlimited year-round access to our heritage site and museum, but a range of other benefits including exclusive events, previews and discounts … all while knowing you are helping us to keep telling the story of the vital war winning work carried out by the men and women of The Government Code and Cypher School during WW2. So in this episode we take you back to early 2018 and to one of those exclusive Friends talks from our very own Research Historian Dr David Kenyon. The Y Service was the organisation responsible for intercepting enemy wireless and radio communications with Y Stations based around the world. In his talk David focused on a smaller part of this organisation, the Coastal Y Service. In the Q&A that follows his talk, who better to help him than Pat Davies who from 1942 – 1945 was one of those Intercept Operators for the Royal Navy. Post war Pat had an astonishing career as a journalist, documentary maker and television producer. In June 2019 the French Government awarded her the Legion d'honneur. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma,

July 2020 In this episode we are staying with Dermot Turing & his wider family. First we go back to a very cold day in March 2015 when more than twenty members of Alan Turing’s family gathered at Bletchley Park to pay tribute to their famous ancestor. The Imitation Game had been released only a few months earlier, so to have so many Turing’s in one place, at the same time, meant the worlds press turned up too & so the perfect opportunity for Dermot to launch the fundraising campaign for the restoration of Hut 11a. Then we will return to Hut 11a exactly 3 years later & the official opening of The Bombe Breakthrough. In the very building that housed the Bombe Machines during World War Two the exhibition tells the entire story for the first time. From the earliest work by Polish Codebreakers using mathematics & machines, through Alan Turing & Gordon Welchman’s famous invention, to finally producing war winning intelligence for the Allies. You will hear from the people involved with creating the exhibition, VIP’s & guests, including some of our specially invited Veteran’s. * Producers Note *Bletchley Park will be safely reopening to visitors on Saturday the 4th of July. All visitors must pre-book online, including Friends or Annual Season Pass holders. Please head to the Bletchley Park website for the latest information. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, @PolishEmbassyUK

June 2020 This week we return for the second and final time to the 2018 launch of Dermot Turing’s book, X, Y and Z: The Real Story of How Enigma Was Broken. It’s a story of international cooperation, spanning many years and for the first time tells of how the French, British and Polish secret services came together to unravel the secrets of the Enigma machine. At the launch Dermot was joined by Nathalie Genet-Rouffiac, the Curator of Heritage for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and GCHQ Historian Tony Comer. To finish this episode we have highlights from the Q&A Session that all three joined, which ended the day. But first we return to Dermot’s talk. In the last episode we left the Polish Codebreakers, enjoying life, living in a Chateau, working for the French. He now completes the story of what happened to them following the Allied landings in North Africa in late 1942 as the Germans rushed to occupy Vichy France. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 * Producers Note *While we are still in these exceptional times, we will continue to produce these Intelligence Insight episodes, switching to one every two weeks from now. We are also looking forward to bringing you new episodes in our It Happened Here series as soon as we are able to. In the meantime, please follow Bletchley Park on social media and visit the website for the latest information on plans to safely reopen, thank you. #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, @PolishEmbassyUK

June 2020 The breaking of the German Enigma machine wasn’t just down to the Codebreakers at Bletchley Park and it didn’t start with the outbreak of World War Two. It’s a story of international cooperation, spanning many years and who better to tell it than the nephew of Alan Turing. In this, the first of two episodes, we return to 2018 when Bletchley Park hosted representatives of the Polish Embassy in London and families of Polish codebreakers, for the launch of Dermot Turing’s book, X, Y and Z: The Real Story of How Enigma Was Broken. Based on his own original research and newly released documents, both in the book and this exclusively recorded talk, Dermot tells the story of how the French, British and Polish secret services came together to unravel the secrets of the Enigma machine. He is introduced by His Excellency the Ambassador of Republic of Poland, Dr Arkady Rzegocki. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, @PolishEmbassyUK

June 2020 This week we return for the last time to the Bill Tutte symposium that was held at Bletchley Park in 2017, the centenary of his birth. In this episode we bring you the closing address of the day given by our then Chairman, Sir John Scarlett. But before that we have the final speaker of the day, the BBC’s Security Correspondent, Gordon Corera, here for the first time in full. The work that Bill did at Bletchley Park would help lead to the creation of the cutting edge technology of the Colossus Computer. Therefore it was fitting that in his talk Gordon looked for the connecting threads between then and now, between maths and machines, computers and people. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, #Tunny

May 2020 We return in this episode to the Bill Tutte symposium that was held at Bletchley Park in 2017, on the centenary of his birth. Again we bring you one of the many talks given that day, but for the first time in full. Bill Tutte’s breaking of the Lorenz machine led to the Codebreakers at Bletchley Park being able to read the messages being sent between Hitler, the German High Command and the Generals in the field. In his talk our Research Historian Dr David Kenyon, looked at why this was so important to the Allied planners. Focusing specifically on how intelligence derived from Tunny decrypts played a role in D-Day, he asked the question “How Fishy was Ultra?” To find out even more about the work of The Western Front Committee and the planning for D-Day, why not go back and listen to Episode 88 The Tide of Victory, where we looked at this in even greater detail. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, #Tunny

May 2020 In this episode we stay with the attack on the Lorenz code that Bill Tutte played such an important part in, with a first-hand account. Captain Jerry Roberts worked with Bill Tutte in The Testery cracking, what they called Tunny, the German High Commands code, used by Hitler & his top Generals. Jerry tells us what it was like to work in The Testery, why breaking Tunny was so important to the ultimate Allied victory and of his 3 Heroes of Bletchley Park. Jerry’s was the last of a day of talks held in 2012 as part of the celebrations of Alan Turing’s Centenary. The introduction is by Lord Charles Brocket who acted as master of ceremonies for the day. In memoriam, Captain Jerry Roberts MBE (1920-2014) Image: ©mcfontaine #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, #Lorenz, #Veteran

May 2020 In this episode we again return to the Bill Tutte symposium that was held at Bletchley Park in 2017, on the centenary of his birth. As a member of the Bill Tutte Memorial Fund Claire Butterfield had by 2017 spent 4 years campaigning for more recognition for the little-known mathematical genius. For the first time we can bring you Claire’s entire talk that opened the day and in it she explores Bill’s entire life and work. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, #Tunny

May 2020 After more than 5 and a half years of fighting, 75 Years ago today the war in Europe officially finally came to an end. To commemorate the day we present this special It Happened Here episode. Using archive recordings and interviews with our Veterans from both our official Oral History Project and nearly 8 years of podcasts, we hope to take you back to the heady days of early May 1945. 20 of our Veterans will share their memories, both happy and sometimes poignant, of what VE Day and beyond meant to them. Featured in order of appearance are: Betty Flavell Peggy Huntingdon Ron Unwin Joyce Spurr Tim Edwards Pamela Billinton Lady Marion Body Elizabeth Ruth Hughes Mary Sherrard Joyce Bogoni Betty Lawrie Eileen Younghusband Helene Aldwinckle Sheila Willson Walter 'Joe' Wright Margaret Thomas Jane Fawcett Elizabeth Marshall Stanley Clegg Marigold Freeman-Attwood We would like to take this opportunity to thank not just the Veterans of Bletchley Park and its Outstations, but all Veterans, for their service. Very special thanks go to Mr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: WAAFs in Trafalgar Square. With grateful thanks to Mrs Margaret Rowland. #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #VEDay75

May 2020Since first marching into Poland on the 1st September 1939, the German army had conquered most of Europe. But the tide had turned and, as April 1945 began, they were caught between the Western Allies and the vast Red Army of the Soviet Union. The inevitable end was finally in sight, but not before multiple surrenders were signed.For the Codebreakers of Bletchley Park, after more than 5 and a half years, their work wasn’t over. Not only did they have to keep supplying vital intelligence, but they also looked towards an uncertain future and the threat of a new enemy. It must have been satisfying for the night shift in Hut 6 on the 7th May 1945 as they secretly became some of the first people to learn that the war in Europe was at an end.With the help of archival recordings and Ultra decrypts from the time, Bletchley Park’s Research Officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham, guides us through the dramatic last days of the Nazi regime. Very special thanks go to Mr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.In memoriam, Eileen Younghusband BEM (1921-2016) WAAF Section OfficerImage: PD-USGov-Military-Army* Producers Note *Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation & the podcast team working from home, we have had to record this episode remotely. This means that the audio is not to the high quality we would normally wish it to be. But very much in the make do and mend spirit of WW2 we have improved it the best we can and hope our listeners will understand and still enjoy the episode.#BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #VEDay75

April 2020 Many of Bletchley Park’s senior early war staff had cut their codebreaking teeth during World War One. In 2015 we opened an exhibition called The Road to Bletchley Park which looked at the work of Room 40 and MI1B. So following on from our previous Intelligence Insight we will be sharing again some interviews with the families of these famous Codebreakers of both conflicts. Dillwyn ‘Dilly’ Knox started World War Two as GC&CS’s Chief Codebreaker but in World War One had been one of the team that helped to break the famous Zimmerman Telegram. So first we return to 2015 when 14 members of his family paid us a visit and we spoke to his 4 grandchildren, Charlotte, Tim, Peter and the modern incarnation of Dilly. The person credited with most of the work on the Zimmerman Telegram was Nigel de Grey. Again in 2015 we spoke to Michael de Grey about his grandfather’s work and he shared some amazing letters that Nigel sent him as a child. Then Michael’s brother, Anthony de Grey spoke about their father John de Grey who joined their grandfather to work at Bletchley Park during World War Two. We then move forward to 2016 and join Michael and Anthony at the opening of the second part of The Road to Bletchley Park. Our final selection this week is from 2017 when we celebrated the 100th anniversary of The Zimmerman Telegram. For this event Michael and Anthony were joined by Edward Hohler, whose grandfather Thomas was ‘Our man in Mexico’ at the time. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, #WW1

April 2020 Over the years we have been very fortunate to welcome the families of some of our more famous Codebreakers for a visit to Bletchley Park. The families always have such an immense pride in their ancestors and the work they did for GC&CS and it’s always an honour for the podcast to sit down with them for our listeners. Following on from our last podcast, Invasion Norway, where we looked at the vital work Harry Hinsley carried out in the Naval Section, we go back to 2017 when two of his children, Clarissa & Hugo paid a visit with 3 generations of the family. They not only speak about their famous father but also their mother Hillary who also worked at Bletchley Park. We will then hear from Gordon Welchman’s grandson Geoffrey on his first visit to Bletchley Park and how emotional it was for him. Finally we sit down with Welchman’s biographer Dr Joel Greenberg, his granddaughter Jenny and two Veterans Jimmy Thirsk and Betty Webb as they discuss his wartime work and his book The Hut 6 Story. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, #GCHQ

April 2020 In early 1940, as winter turned to spring, the world waited for the ‘Phony war’ to end with the expected German attack in the west. But the leaders of both Allied and Axis forces were looking in another direction, to the north, to the snow and the steel, to Scandinavia.Meanwhile in a wooden hut at Bletchley Park, recent recruit Harry Hinsley was certain a German fleet was preparing to set sail, but how could he, a 21-year-old civilian in a highly secret department, persuade the Admiralty that he was right?In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode we explore the difficult start of Bletchley Park’s role in Britain’s war at sea. Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon will be our guide.As usual special thanks go to Mr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.* Producers Note *We have had to record this episode remotely due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. This means that the audio quality is not to the high quality we would normally wish it to be. We hope our listeners will understand and still enjoy this episode.Image: Public Domain Naval History and Heritage Command#BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyParkEnigma80, #Enigma80

April 2020 2017 was the centenary of a relatively little-known genius who went straight from studying mathematics at Cambridge to codebreaking for the Government Code and Cypher School. The crucial role that Bill Tutte played in the attack on the system used by Hitler and his high command, Lorenz, not only broke it but also helped paved the way for the creation of the world’s first large-scale electronic digital computer, Colossus. Finally Bill received the recognition he so richly deserved with a BBC Documentary, an exhibition at Bletchley Park and, on the day of his centenary, a symposium of talks about his life and work. Here for the first time we can bring you, instead of just highlights, the entire talk and Q&A session from GCHQ’s shortly to retire Departmental Historian, Tony Comer. In his talk Tony looked at the fundamental changes that had happened at GC&CS to allow Bill Tutte to carry out his breath-taking achievements. We have also included again the interview we recorded at The National Arboretum in 2019 with Tony. It was an opportunity to look back at his career and to exclusively introduce his replacement to the world. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma, #GCHQ

March 2020 Bletchley Park Museum is currently closed as a precautionary measure to help contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Our staff and volunteers like so many around the world are in lockdown, self-isolation or working remotely from home. Bletchley Parks CEO Iain Standen said “This isn’t the first time that Bletchley Park has operated at unprecedented times of national crisis and it is the values of those that have and still work here – understanding, collaboration, integrity, perseverance, resilience – that we hold dear at this moment.” While we can we will continue to produce our normal podcasts but in addition to that the Podcast Team have decided to bring you something each Friday for the next few weeks. With 8 years of content we will not only return to some gems from previous shows but also bring you things that have not been heard before. For this first episode our producer Mark Cotton has dipped into the over 100 hours of recordings to bring you a selection of interviews that he has found most memorable. Included are: Wyn RibchesterFlo ColeMary Watkins & Betty WebbMarigold Freeman-AttwoodJeannie Kotchie We hope all our listeners, their families and friends, stay safe and well. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma

March 2020 As 1945 began, the Germans’ last roll of the dice in the Ardennes has failed. They were left to face the overwhelming force of men and materiel of the Allied armies approaching the Fatherland from all directions. For the Allies in the west, the natural barrier of the Rhine River was all that lay between them and the open plains of Germany, and the last phase of the war in the west. Meanwhile the Government Code & Cypher School at Bletchley Park were producing more intelligence than ever before, but for how much longer? We’ll find out how it was at this point that the Germans challenged the Codebreakers like never before. In this It Happened Here episode our Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham will take us through the action on the front line and reveal just how difficult it was becoming to keep supplying actionable Intelligence in the last year of the war.As usual special thanks go to Mr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.In memoriam, Eileen Younghusband BEM (1921-2016) WAAF Section OfficerImage: US Army Green Books

February 2020 In contrast to its roots as a top secret organisation, the name of Bletchley Park is now recognised around the world. Sharing Bletchley Park’s stories with our audiences through education is at the heart what we now do here. Since first opening the site as a museum in 1992, educational programming has been a crucial part of the work of Bletchley Park Trust. Our Learning team of dedicated staff and volunteers now welcomes over 35,000 visitors to the site each year and reaches even more through their growing Outreach and Digital programmes. Their workshops, tours and events have won awards at the national School Travel Awards and a prestigious Sandford Award in 2019. A recent project, Challenge HQ, has seen Bletchley Park open brand new learning spaces on site to complement the increasing work done by this busy team. This gives us a perfect opportunity for our listeners to meet the Learning team and find out more about this exciting new project. For the Bletchley Park Podcast, we brought five local young people, who have taken part in the new project, back to the Park to meet a Veteran of BP’s Japanese Section, Betty Webb. Image ©Bletchley Park Trust 2020 #BPark, #WW2, #BletchleyPark, #Enigma