Reply to: Bletchley Park commemorates those brave chaps

[RichardCranium]

I was lucky enough to get in on a guided tour.

The local branch of my wife's professional body arranged it as a day-long visit and about 20 of us went. I cannot remember the cost, but it was a no-brainer. The price included a light lunch.

We were guided around the house and the computer rooms. We got a lecture in the main hall in the house including the pre-history of the place that explained how it came to be bought and used.

The history of the Poles' involvement was a revelation (they deserve the credit for the whole thing being possible in the first place for what they did prior to WWII).

We also got some behind-the-scenes stuff.

So, if someone in the area wants to arrange a ContractorUK Bletchley Park RLM...

[shaunbhoy]

I should really go - it's just down the road.

Is it an all-day thing?


Tone

I'd recommend the whole day. I only got there about lunchtime and missed out on a lot.
The Entrance Fee gets you a year's subscription though, so if you live locally you can take your time I suppose.

[Sands of Time]

I should really go - it's just down the road.

Is it an all-day thing?


Tone

[stek]

Weren't the Bod's there mostly Poles - developing the 'Bomba'?

[EternalOptimist]

You'd think that if the Germans even remotely suspected that any Enigma machines had been captured by the allies, the differences of the Typex would have alerted them to potential security flaws which the allies had spotted, with the corollary that Enigma might have been been cracked using those flaws.

But then the Head of the Abwer (sp?), Admiral Canaris, was supposedly a double agent. So possibly he scoffed at the idea of any Enigma machines having been captured, precisely to head off suspicions along those lines.

I seriously doubt that Canaris was a double agent. He was anti nazi for sure, and knew the war was unwinnable. But he was also extremely honourable, non devious and very pro German uber state.
A very good reason for scoffing at the idea of a machine being captured, was self preservation. He might have been shot

[OwlHoot]

They also spent six weeks trying to break the Typex (which was used for the most important communications by the RAF, Army and various branches of government) before giving up in the belief it was uncrackable.

You'd think that if the Germans even remotely suspected that any Enigma machines had been captured by the allies, the differences of the Typex would have alerted them to potential security flaws which the allies had spotted, with the corollary that Enigma might have been been cracked using those flaws.

But then the Head of the Abwer (sp?), Admiral Canaris, was supposedly a double agent. So possibly he scoffed at the idea of any Enigma machines having been captured, precisely to head off suspicions along those lines.

[NickFitz]

Didn't the Germans crack our codes without a cipher machine?

They did crack a number of the most important naval cyphers and various less important cyphers of other services throughout the earlier years of war. From late 1943 onwards they were pretty much stuck though.

They also spent six weeks trying to break the Typex (which was used for the most important communications by the RAF, Army and various branches of government) before giving up in the belief it was uncrackable.

[TykeMerc]

Never been there, I'll have to go.

[Churchill]

In short: he refused to be discrete in his homosexuality, was sentenced to female hormone injections as a condition of being allowed to continue his work, was then not allowed to continue his work, became depressed and when he grew boobs and fat, saw no point carrying on.

A terrible waste. A modern-day Socrates who, but for a handful of people in the IT industry, would have buried by history.

Alan Turing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As for Bletchley Park, if you consider yourself a European or British IT professional it is a temple that requires one pilgrimage in your lifetime.

Hmmm, Alan Turing lived in Wilmslow. I wonder if the boards resident (aledged)kiddie-fiddler is aware of that fact.

[Dearnla]

I did 21 months at the place, training with the CAA. Only ever got in the mansion once, but our bedrooms and lecture rooms were the old brickbuilt huts.
I do seem to remember a drunken bonfire party on the frozen lake just before Easter one April. We lacked fireworks so thought Brut cans were a good substitute. We were right.....

[doodab]

Didn't the Germans crack our codes without a cipher machine?

The Germans had some rather groovy mechanical and relay based computing machines but they were only used for calculations AFAIK.

[Troll]

Didn't the Germans crack our codes without a cipher machine?

[RichardCranium]

Did Turing commit suicide or was he suicided for his efforts?

In short: he refused to be discrete in his homosexuality, was sentenced to female hormone injections as a condition of being allowed to continue his work, was then not allowed to continue his work, became depressed and when he grew boobs and fat, saw no point carrying on.

A terrible waste. A modern-day Socrates who, but for a handful of people in the IT industry, would have buried by history.

Alan Turing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As for Bletchley Park, if you consider yourself a European or British IT professional it is a temple that requires one pilgrimage in your lifetime.

[Doggy Styles]

You should, you really should. Get there early too, there is lots to take in.

I will. Even my kids and Mrs Styles have been. I've read the books and everything. It's stupid really, but I never seem to get round to it.

[doodab]

It's 20 minutes away from where I live and I've never been there.

I used to go there all the time when I was a kid but that was before they had the museum and stuff.