Bletchley Park

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 featur

May 2022 Bletchley 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

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 Factor

March 2022 Bletchley 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 Coppock Sergeant Bernard Morgan Image: Mansfield College

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 Hinsley Jimmy Thirsk Stephen Freer Image: © 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:

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 Batey Rozanne Colchester Image: 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 Bonsall Elizabeth Marshall Mimi Gallilee Arnold Hargreaves Gwendoline Herbert Barbara Hart Judith Wainer Image: ©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 bei

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,

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, #Blet

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 o

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 exhibi

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,