Bletchley Park

June 2013 This month, we have an update on the work to restore Bletchley Park from Site Manager Rob Davies. We give you a taste of the Forties Family Festival which was held in May. Miss Luna Nightingale serenades us, we find out about Auxiliary Units from The British Resistance Archive & Dodging The Doodlebugs keep us laughing during WW2. We also have fascinating interview with WW2 Veteran Marjorie Nichols, who worked for SIS. Picture: ©Sarah Langston #BPark, #Enigma, #Spys, #SIS

May 2013 Martin Davidson’s mother told him a family secret shortly after the death of his German Grandfather. This sent him on a quest to discover the true story of Bruno Langbehn – The Perfect Nazi. In this 2nd & final part, Martin looks deeper into the history of his German Grandfather Bruno Langbehn – The Perfect Nazi. It includes a Q&A session held after the talk. #BPark, #MartinDavidson, #Bletchleypark

May 2013 Martin Davidson’s mother told him a family secret shortly after the death of his German Grandfather. This sent him on a quest to discover the true story of Bruno Langbehn – The Perfect Nazi. This is the first part of a talk given by Martin at Bletchley Park as part of our recent Winter Lecture Season. #BPark, #MartinDavidson, #Bletchleypark

May 2013 This month, Jean Wallace tells us about the Fashion Show at the 40’s Family Festival & showing the Prime Minister her bloomers … Our new Education Officer, Tom Briggs, has Enigma … will travel. In 1926, at the age of twenty, a trainee dentist called Bruno Langbehn joined the Nazi party and as the party rose to power, he was there every step of the way. For fifty years after the end of the Second World War, his family kept this horrifying secret. His British grandson, Martin Davidson, uncovers the truth in his book The Perfect Nazi. Bletchley Park Veteran, Edwin Dockley, shares some of his memories of working at The Home of The Codebreakers. #BPark, #Enigma, #40sFashion *For more information about our Enigma Outreach program go to http://www.bletchleypark.org/edu/visit/outreach.rhtm

April 2013 This is the second and final part of Nick Coffers BBC 3 Counties Show, which was broadcast from Block B at Bletchley Park during the 3rd Enigma Challenge. It starts with Nick being taken on a tour by Bletchley Park guide and historian Joel Greenberg. Thanks again to The BBC 3 Counties OB Team, Emma Smith & Gareth Lloyd, Nick Coffer of course, Joel Greenberg, The Bombe Rebuild Team & The 3 Belles. #BPark, #Enigma, #BBC3CR, #NickCoffer

April 2013 In the last episode of Podcast we gave you just a small flavour of The Third Enigma Challenge that was held in March. For 4 days GCHQ’s Historical Section were based at The Big Bang Fair at London’s ExCel Centre were sending Enigma Coded Messages for the Bombe Rebuild Team to try and crack back at Bletchley Park. On the Friday Nick Coffer of BBC 3 Counties Radio presented his afternoon show from Block B at Bletchley Park and that’s what we will be sharing with you over the next two Extras episodes. So a huge thank you goes to The BBC 3 Counties OB Team, Emma Smith & Gareth Lloyd, Nick Coffer of course, The Bombe Rebuild Team & The 3 Belles. #BPark, #Enigma, #BBC3CR, #NickCoffer

April 2013 This month, BBC 3 Counties Radio covered the 3rd Enigma Challenge. Bletchley Park Event’s Manager, Claire Urwin, tells us about some of the forthcoming Summer Events. Author Michael Smith tells us all about his new book, Bletchley Park, the Codebreakers of Station X which had just been released. Project Neptune, the HLF restoration of Bletchley Park is about to start. We take you inside the soon to be restored Huts and Blocks with the people who’ll be running the project #BPark, #Enigma, #HLF, #BBC3CR, #NickCoffer, #TonyFisher Thanks to Nick Coffer & the BBC 3 Counties OB Team for the use of the Enigma Challenge audio & Tony Fisher for the use of his Neptune interviews.

March 2013 In this episode we bring you the longer versions of some of the interviews featured in the last episode of The Bletchley Park Podcast. They were recorded by mcfontaine and our new roving reporter Kerry Howard, after the visit of HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. Featuring Aileen Hasdell, Gwen Flavell, Peggy Dorrington & Alba Whiteman. #bpark, #enigma, #bombe, #bletchleypark

March 2013 This month, we hear from some of the veterans* who met Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall, when she came to Bletchley Park to learn about the contribution women here made to the war effort. Thanks to Jessica Cooper of BBC 3 Counties Radio for some audio clips. We’ll bring you reaction from senior cryptographer Captain Jerry Roberts after he met Her Majesty The Queen for the second time, as he received his MBE at Buckingham Palace.  We look ahead at some upcoming events & we’ll hear from Bletchley Park guide & historian Joel Greenberg, about his new biography of Gordon Welchman. *The next EXTRA’s episode will feature the full versions of these interviews.  Image: ©shaunarmstrong/mubsta.com #BPark, #JerryRoberts, #Tunny, #Enigma

February 2013 In this episode we have the full interview with Captain Jerry Roberts, who was today (28/02/13) awarded an MBE by Her Majesty The Queen in honour of his 4 year campaign for more recognition for Alan Turing, Bill Tutte and Tommy Flowers. Jerry shares with us what it was like to work in The Testery breaking coded messages from Hitler, his memories of “a great man” Bill Tutte, working as a War Crimes Investigator and setting up the first Marketing company in post war South America. Captain Roberts was one of four founding members of the Testery, named after its leader, Ralph Tester. This team was tasked with breaking Germany’s highest-level cipher system, Lorenz, known by the Codebreakers as Tunny. Captain Roberts worked in the Testery from its inception in October 1941, after Bill Tutte made the first break into the Lorenz system, until the end of the war in 1945. Read Katherine Lynch’s blog about Jerry’s visit to the palace http://bletchleypark.org.uk/news/docview.rhtm/686548

February 2013 This month we talk to Captain Jerry Roberts about being awarded an MBE and his 4 year campaign for more recognition for Alan Turing, Bill Tutte and Tommy Flowers.  We have an update from CEO Iain Standen on the Heritage Lottery Funded restoration programme. Also, an exclusive interview with another Bletchley Park Veteran Nancy Jackson, who worked in the Newmanry, the section led by Alan Turing’s friend and mentor Max Newman. A message from mcfontaine This month’s episode has been late due to the death of my step-dad, Mick Chalkley.  There was a really nice connection for me between Bletchley Park and Mick as during World War 2 he served in the Fleet Air Arm. A large part of which was on escort duty on amongst others, the Russian and Malta convoys. I explained to him the work that Bletchley Park did during the war, how by reading U-Boat Enigma traffic they could re-route convoys away from attack. This was something he didn’t know and like me, had no doubt that they must have hel

January 2013 This week we have the concluding part of Bob Horner’s talk Malta George Cross 1940-42 - The Battle for Survival. During World War II, Malta played an important role owing to its proximity to Axis shipping lanes. The bravery of the Maltese people during the second Siege of Malta moved King George VI to award the George Cross to Malta on a collective basis on 15 April 1942 "to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history. Last week Bob left us at the start of 1942, a very dark time for the survival of Malta. He now continues with the story of one of the most pivotal moments during the resupply of Malta, Operation Pedestal. #Bpark, #Malta, #WW2, #BletchleyPark

January 2013 This week we have the first of a two part talk, as part of Bletchley Park Winter Lecture Series, given by Bob Horner called Malta GC 1940-42 - The Battle for Survival. During World War II, Malta played an important role owing to its proximity to Axis shipping lanes. The bravery of the Maltese people during the second Siege of Malta moved King George VI to award the George Cross to Malta on a collective basis on 15 April 1942 "to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history". Next week we will have the concluding part of this talk where Bob will look at Operation Pedestal which has gone down in military history as one of the most important British strategic victories of the Second World War. #Bpark, #Malta, #WW2, #BletchleyPark

January 2013 This month it’s all about reunions. 40 years ago a group of teenagers came to Bletchley Park as CAA Apprentices & they told Jessica Cooper of BBC 3 Counties Radio all about their time here when they came back last month. We interview some of the original members of the Bletchley Park Trust who talk about the early days of Saving Bletchley Park to celebrate 21 years of the Trust. Also BP CEO Iain Standen tells us all about Get Fit for 2013 & you can find out about some of the great events happening at Bletchley Park in 2013. #BPark, #BletchleyPark, #CAA, #BParkPodcast, #BBC3CountiesRadio

December 2012 This is an X-Mas Special looking back on the first 6 months of the Bletchley Park Podcast. #BPark, #Turing, #Christmas2012

December 2012 This week we bring you a final talk from the Turing Education Day event that was held at Bletchley Park in June 2012. Professor Kevin Warwick and Huma Shah explained The Turing Test in a talk called Turing and Artificial Intelligence. #Bpark, #AlanTuringYear, #Turing, #KevinWarwick, #HumaShah

December 2012 This month we take a look at 2012 The Alan Turing Centenary. William Newman & Sir John Dermot Turing talk about The Alan Turing Limited Edition Monopoly Set & Turing in 2012. Barry Cooper, of the Turing Centenary Committee, updates us on some of the worldwide celebrations. Turing expert, Jack Copeland, gives an exclusive reading from his soon to be published book & The LGBT History Month Pre-Launch event was held at Bletchley Park to mark the centenary. Milton Keynes Poet Laureate Mark Niel reads his specially written poem that was inspired by the day he spent at our annual Veterans Reunion Day in September. Listen in as one of our Veterans, Ros Poland, is presented with awards during a recent visit to Bletchley Park. Image: ©shaunarmstrong/mubsta.com #BPark, #AlanTuringYear, #ATY, #Turing, #MarkNiel, #JackCopeland, #BarryCooper, #LGBTHistoryMonth, #BletchleyPark

November 2012 This week we have another talk from the Turing Education Day event that was held at Bletchley Park in June 2012. Baroness Susan Greenfield presents a lecture called, How Brainpower Goes Beyond Computer Power. #Bpark, #AlanTuringYear, #Turing, #SusanGreenfield

November 2012 This week we have a talk recorded at this year’s Veterans Day. WAAF Veteran & author Eileen Younghusband gives a first-hand account of The Vital Role of the Secret Filter Room in Air Defence in WW2. Hear about the part they played in the Battle of Britain & later as the tide of war turned, against the V1 & V2 attacks. Eileen sadly passed away on the 2nd of September 2016. RIP Find more information about Eileen & her two autobiographies at www.onewomanswar.co.uk #BPark, #Turing, #WW2, #BattleofBritain, #Radar, #VRockets

November 2012 This week we have more content from the Mythbusters event held at Bletchley Park. Organised by bestselling author Michael Smith (Station X: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park, Britain's Spies - the Real James Bonds) who was joined by the official GCHQ historian and, in a rare public appearance, veteran Bletchley Park Code Breaker & former Director of GCHQ, Sir Arthur Bonsall #BPark, #Turing, #Mythbusters @MickWSmith