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Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park

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Bletchley Park is the home of British codebreaking and a birthplace of modern information technology. It played a major role in World War Two, producing secret intelligence which had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the conflict. The site is now a museum and heritage attraction, open daily. The Bletchley Park Podcast brings you fascinating stories from Veterans, staff and volunteers on the significance and continued relevance of this site today.

Siste episoder av Bletchley Park podcast

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  1. E183 - 'Ladies & gentlemen, go your ways!' (01:01:55)

    September 2025 In 1945, Britain celebrated VE Day in May and VJ Day in August, as the war - first in Europe and then the Far East - came to an end. For the staff of GC&CS and its larger worldwide network, this meant that the vital and exhausting work they'd been doing suddenly stopped. The lives of all of them had been changed forever, but each person's experience was different. Bletchley Park's Oral History archive is a treasure trove of Veterans' testimonies. In this It Happened Here episode, we will be digging into our sound archive to focus on how the workers reacted and what happened to them once peace was declared, in their own words. Our guide through these stories is Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon. This episode features the following Veterans’. Nora Copleston Miriam Myland Mary Kenyon Ron Unwin Betty Lawrie John Statham Betty Flavell Fay Gold Joan Smeaton Gwen Page Dot Tuffin Kenneth Nicholson John Moseley Jimmy Thirsk Rena Stewart Mary Every Daphne Canning Betty Webb Lady Marion Body Margaret Thomas Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2025 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #VEDay80, #VJDay80,

  2. E182 - "… and Peace at Last" (01:02:38)

    August 2025 On 15 August 2025 the UK commemorated the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, the day on which the surrender of Japan and the end of World War Two was announced. This was a significant moment at Bletchley Park as it meant the end of almost six years of non-stop codebreaking and intelligence work. For many it also brought an abrupt halt to years of training to learn Japanese and long journeys to reach postings in India, Sri Lanka and elsewhere in preparation for the upcoming invasion of Japan itself. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode we are joined by Bletchley Park’s historians Dr Tom Cheetham and Dr David Kenyon to discuss how the Japanese war ended and the part played by Bletchley Park and signals intelligence. Our thanks go to Owen Moogan and Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our historical documents. Image: Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri. Public Domain, United States Navy. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #VJDay80,

  3. E181 - Blitzkrieg in Burma (00:54:23)

    July 2025 By late 1944, the tide had turned against the Japanese in south-east Asia, with the repulse of their attempted invasion of India. However, the multi-national Allied forces in Burma still faced enormous challenges if they were to retain the initiative, and push the enemy out of the country. Every mile travelled from their supply bases, across barely-navigable expanses of jungle and mountain, exposed Allied troops to greater difficulties and risk of starvation and destruction. It was a struggle against the terrain and a race against time to liberate Burma before the arrival of the monsoon. In this struggle, intelligence and deception were essential weapons in the Allied arsenal. In this It Happened Here episode, Head of Audiences and Programmes Vicki Pipe is joined by Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham to explore the 1945 battles for Burma and the race to Rangoon which formed the climax of Britain’s war against Japan. This episode features Veteran’s Eric Rhodes, Roy Buckmaster and Dennis Underwood, from our Oral History archive. Our thanks go to Owen Moogan and Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our historical documents. Image: Oil painting of General William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #14thArmy,

  4. E180 - Dire Straits (01:00:48)

    June 2025 In May 1945 the Royal Navy fought its last surface action against the Japanese fleet, sinking the cruiser Haguro in the Mallaca Strait, off the coast of Malaya. The successful location of the enemy ship was the result of signals intelligence. It was also a product of the sophisticated network built up by Britain, the USA and Australia after 1943 to intercept, decipher and distribute intelligence around the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, we are joined by Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to discuss the role of the Codebreakers in this milestone on the road to ultimate victory over Japan in 1945. This episode features Veteran Edward Simpson from our Oral History archive. Our thanks go to Dr Ben Thompson and Owen Moogan for voicing our historical documents. Image: Public Domain #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

  5. E179 - Dollis Hill Days (00:59:01)

    May 2025 During World War Two, Bletchley Park collaborated with several external engineering institutions in developing the famous codebreaking machines, such as the Bombes and Colossus. One such institution was the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill in London. In 2022, the previously secret war diary of the Research Station were released online to the public by BT, the successor to GPO Telecommunications. In this episode we are joined by James Elder, an archivist from BT Group Archives, as well as our own Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon, to find out what information the diaries can reveal about this secret collaboration. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing extracts from the War Diary. Image: © Courtesy of BT Group Archives (TCB 473/P 5105) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #BT, #GPO,

  6. E178 - VE Day 80: Objects and Memories (00:58:15)

    April 2025 To mark 80 years since the end of the war in Europe, this episode takes a closer look at four intriguing items from Bletchley Park’s collections. The team digs deeper into the stories that lie behind a mysterious message, a misunderstood photograph, a moving memo and audio of a Veteran’s memories of VE Day. Head of Content Erica Munro meets up with Research Historian Dr David Kenyon, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham and Museum Archivist Dean Annison. Plus producer Mark Cotton speaks with former WRNS Bombe Operator Ruth Bourne about her VE Day memories. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. To see the objects we discuss in this episode, visit www.bletchleypark.org.uk/our-story/e178-ve80/ Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2025 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #VEDay80,

  7. E177 - Vengeance from the Skies (01:00:52)

    March 2025 In 1943 there seemed to be few mysteries left unsolved for Bletchley Park. But by the middle of that year, whispers would be heard of new threats: the V-1 ‘flying bomb’ and V-2 rocket. What began with hints of secret trials on the Baltic would grow into an investigation which would strain Allied scientific intelligence to the utmost, as well as revealing serious flaws in the operation at Bletchley Park. But by the time ‘vengeance-weapon’ attacks against the United Kingdom began in 1944, the Allies knew what they were facing; enabling countermeasures to be put in place which, despite the immense destruction the weapons caused, likely saved thousands of lives. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, Head of Audiences and Programmes Vicki Pipe is joined by Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham to discuss the secret weapons which represented Nazi Germany’s last-gasp attempt to turn the tide of World War Two. This episode features Oral History recordings of WAAF Filter Officer Eileen Younghusband. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Bundesarchiv, Bild 141-1880 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

  8. E176 - The Age of AI (00:56:48)

    February 2025 Here at Bletchley Park - one of the birthplaces of modern computing – our latest temporary exhibition ‘The Age of AI’ has just opened. This new gallery explores the power and potential of AI in our everyday lives. From the 1930s origins of what we now call ‘artificial intelligence’, to the incredible (or alarming?) potential it might bring, the exhibition explores the benefits and risks of AI in our world today. In this episode, Head of Content Erica Munro meets the team behind the exhibition’s creation. Come with us on a gallery tour with Exhibitions and Interpretation Manager Tilly Davis, and hear from experts and visitors on their impressions of what AI means to them. There’s also a deeper dive into the research and exhibition’s case studies with Content Curator Steve Swaby. Many thanks to our contributors Dame Wendy Hall, Dr Ed Pyzer-Knapp, Professor David Leslie and our Friends of Bletchley Park exhibition preview visitors. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2025 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

  9. E175 - Decoding the Holocaust (00:59:07)

    January 2025 The 27th of January 2025 is the eightieth anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau - an event marked annually by Holocaust Memorial Day. In order to perpetrate the mass killings and other crimes of the Holocaust, the Nazi regime needed to coordinate and communicate about its activities. This included wireless communications which were intercepted and decoded at Bletchley Park. In this episode we take a look at what the Government Code and Cypher School (Bletchley Park) knew about these Nazi crimes, how and when this information was obtained, and how western governments responded to the news. Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon is joined by journalist, author and Holocaust historian Christian Jennings to discuss his work on the role of codebreaking in these terrible events. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2025 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #Holocaust,

  10. E174 - Top Secret Misinformation Part 4 (00:59:08)

    December 2024 For this year’s festive episode, we once again put the word out to our listeners: what baffles you about Bletchley Park, and what myths and misconceptions would you like our resident Historians to investigate and interrogate? Bletchley Park’s Head of Content, Erica Munro, is asking the questions, with Research Historian Dr David Kenyon and Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham fielding queries on uncracked ciphers, captured codes, cribbing, declassification … and, of course, Christmas. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024. Children’s Christmas party hosted by US 6813 Signals Security Detachment at the Manor House, Little Brickhill, from the photograph album of Francis Hayward Stanton. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

  11. E173 - Hunting the Beast Part 2 (00:39:46)

    December 2024 On the 12th of November 1944 Germany’s largest battleship – Tirpitz – was sunk by British RAF Lancaster bombers off Tromso in Norway. Ever since its deployment to the region back in January 1942, the battleship had posed a threat to Arctic convoy operations. A large part of the Royal Navy’s Home Fleet as well as US vessels were tied up protecting convoys from this ship that Winston Churchill christened ‘The Beast’. Despite Tirpitz having never fired its guns in anger at Allied warships, its presence was threat enough. Intelligence experts continued the difficult work of tracking its location and state of readiness. The analysts of Bletchley Park’s Naval Section followed the ship for nearly three years, and played a key part in her final destruction. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, we are joined by Dr David Kenyon, Bletchley Park’s Research Historian and author of ‘Arctic Convoys: Bletchley Park and the War for the Seas’. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: Australian War Memorial (Public Domain) Accession Number SUK11808 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #Tirpitz,

  12. E172 - Hunting the Beast Part 1 (00:44:39)

    November 2024 On the 12th of November 1944 Germany’s largest battleship – Tirpitz – was sunk by British RAF Lancaster bombers off Tromso in Norway. Ever since its deployment to the region back in January 1942, the battleship had posed a threat to Arctic convoy operations. A large part of the Royal Navy’s Home Fleet as well as US vessels were tied up protecting convoys from this ship that Winston Churchill christened ‘The Beast’. Despite Tirpitz having never fired its guns in anger at Allied warships, its presence was threat enough. Intelligence experts continued the difficult work of tracking its location and state of readiness. The analysts of Bletchley Park’s Naval Section followed the ship for nearly three years, and played a key part in her final destruction. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, we are joined by Dr David Kenyon, Bletchley Park’s Research Historian and author of ‘Arctic Convoys: Bletchley Park and the War for the Seas’. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: Naval History and Heritage Command Catalog #: NH 71318 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #Tirpitz,

  13. E171 - Bletchley Park & Bomber Command Part 2 (00:40:16)

    November 2024 The crews of RAF Bomber Command had one of the most hazardous jobs of the war. Flying by night to their targets in occupied Europe, they were alone and vulnerable to the prowling German night-fighters.  Helping them reach their targets was one of the least-known, but most significant achievements of the signals intelligence operation at Bletchley Park. Analysis of the night-fighters’ communications revealed priceless insights into the German defensive system – and how it could be evaded, outwitted and ultimately manipulated. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, Bletchley Park Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham tells us about one of Bletchley Park’s most important contributions to Britain’s total war against Nazi Germany. Many thanks to Mr Lindsay Spence for voicing our archival documents. Image: Herbert Olivier, Operations Room: Bomber Command Conference. Oil on canvas, 1944. From the Collection: Air Historical Branch, MOD, on long loan to the RAF Museum as part of the Second World War Official War Artists’ collection. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #BomberCommand,

  14. E170 – Bletchley Park & Bomber Command Part 1 (00:45:34)

    October 2024 The crews of RAF Bomber Command had one of the most hazardous jobs of the war. Flying by night to their targets in occupied Europe, they were alone and vulnerable to the prowling German night-fighters. Helping them reach their targets was one of the least-known, but most significant achievements of the signals intelligence operation at Bletchley Park. Analysis of the night-fighters’ communications revealed priceless insights into the German defensive system – and how it could be evaded, outwitted and ultimately manipulated. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, Bletchley Park Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham tells us about one of Bletchley Park’s most important contributions to Britain’s total war against Nazi Germany. This episode features the following Veteran from our Oral History archive: Sir Arthur Bonsall Many thanks to Dean Annison & Mr Lindsay Spence for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024. Staff of Bletchley Park night fighter section in 1943. L-R standing: Pat Smith, Edith Davidson, Janet Smith, Florence Brooke, Vincent Chapman. Seated: Molly Blakeley, Catherine Payne, Brenda Gough. Front: Joy Parker, Jeanne Phillips. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #BomberCommand,

  15. E169 - Learning the Ropes (01:03:43)

    September 2024 The Government Code and Cypher School employed thousands of people during the war. These varied from Cambridge dons who had broken codes in World War One to machine workers with very specific skills, to female conscripts from the three armed services. How did all these people know what to do? As usual at BP, the answer is a complex one: a mix of training courses (some well organised, others less so) developed as the organisation grew exponentially as the war progressed. In this month’s ‘It Happened Here’ episode we are joined by Bletchley Park Historian Dr David Kenyon to explore the varied experiences of new recruits finding out how to do their job – sometimes on an organised course, sometimes learning on the job, and sometimes literally making it up themselves. This episode features the following Veterans from our Oral History archive: Betty Webb Iris King Joan Joslin Many thanks to Sarah Langston for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Will Amlot for the Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

  16. E168 - Inside Hut 6 (01:28:45)

    August 2024 Hut 6 was the section at Bletchley Park which broke the German army and air force Enigma ciphers. Historical accounts usually focus on the early part of the war, when a small and inexperienced team was established in a newly-built wooden hut. But by 1944 Hut 6 looked very different. It was a hardened unit of several hundred people, supported by cutting-edge technology. Hut 6 personnel had honed their methods through bitter experience against Enigma ciphers which continued to increase in both number and security. Recent research into Bletchley Park’s unique collections has revealed more about how this vital section worked. We have discovered how they kept the intelligence production line running despite fighting a daily battle not just against the ciphers, but against the dangers of inefficiency, poor morale and organisational friction. For this episode Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham is joined by Bletchley Park digitisation volunteer (and all-round brainbox) Craig Heath to take a detailed look inside Hut 6. Many thanks to Sarah Langston and Joel Desborough for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©The Registration Room in Hut 6, Block D. Reproduced by kind permission, Director GCHQ. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

  17. E167 - The Forgotten Army (01:35:50)

    July 2024  In early 1942 one of the most disastrous defeats of the war saw British forces pushed out of Burma, now known as Myanmar. Two years later, the multi-national Fourteenth Army, the ‘Forgotten Army’, had learned to fight and beat the Japanese, inflicting their largest defeat of the war at Imphal and Kohima, and was poised to begin the reconquest of Burma. This turnaround had much to do with bitter experience gained in close combat, and superb logistics, but an important element was detailed intelligence, which allowed the Allies to seize control of the skies and control the battle below.  In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham leads us through the transformations at Bletchley Park, at signals intelligence centres in South-East Asia, and on the front lines, which turned defeat into victory. This episode features the following from our Oral History archive: Pat Johnston Stephen Freer Edward Simpson Mary Every Eric Rhodes Image: © The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (Public Domain) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

  18. E166 - D-Day80 Part 3 Block D to Bocage (01:24:20)

    June 2024    To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, we are releasing 3 special episodes to tell the full story of The Longest Day. This third part is a brand new episode looking beyond the beaches. Bletchley Park made a vital contribution to the planning and preparation of D-Day, but the landings were only the beginning. There would be another three months of hard fighting in Normandy before the German forces finally cracked, and France could be liberated. Ultra intelligence from Bletchley Park gave crucial support to Allied commanders throughout the battle. But knowledge rarely translated directly into action. Those generals and airmen faced with the mammoth task of orchestrating a modern all-arms battle had to balance numerous competing priorities, of which intelligence was rarely the most important. In this episode, Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham has delved into the detail of five turning points, to explore exactly how – and how far – Bletchley Park contributed to Allied victory in the Battle of Normandy. Many thanks to Joel Desborough for playing the part of our RAF SLU Officer. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #D-Day80,

  19. E165 - D-Day80 Part 2 Overlord (01:07:42)

    June 2024    To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, we will be releasing 3 special episodes to tell the full story of The Longest Day. This second part is a complete remastering of our original Overlord episode with the addition of much new content. 80 years ago today, more than 150,000 Allied troops were boarding planes, gliders and landing craft as they prepared to invade Fortress Europe in Operation Overlord, the Normandy Invasion. Meanwhile, 200 miles away in the Buckinghamshire countryside the Codebreakers of GC&CS were also ready and waiting.  Naval Section spent the day decrypting German messages and forwarding that vital intelligence to Allied commanders, in many cases only two and a half hours after the German operators had sent them.   Today at Bletchley Park our Archive holds hundreds of these handwritten decrypts and using a selection of these we tell the story of The Longest Day. Our Research Officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham & Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon will be your guides, with the help of 12 of our Veterans’ memories from that eventful day. This episode features the following from our Oral History archive: Margaret Bryant Colette Cook Jean Tocher Pat Davies Norah Brierley Eric Dodd Stanley Clegg Kenneth Case Gordon Rosenberg Jimmy Thirsk Aileen Hasdell Pam Harding Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #D-Day80,

  20. E164 - D-Day80 Part 1 Tide of Victory (01:19:14)

    May 2024    Over the next 6 weeks, to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, we will be releasing 3 special episodes to tell the full story of The Longest Day. This first part is a complete remastering of our original Tide of Victory episode with the addition of much new content. This first episode takes us to the south coast of Britain which, in May 1944, resembled one huge army camp as over 2 million men waited for D-Day. In the Buckinghamshire countryside the staff at GC&CS carried on feeding detailed and crucial intelligence to the Allied forces that would play an integral part in the success of the upcoming Operation Overlord. The Western Front Committee was established at Bletchley Park in October 1942 and for the next 18 months built up a comprehensive picture of German forces in the West, recording every unit, its location and its strength.  From February 1943 the committee began to produce reports of which over 450 pages are now held in our archives. Head of Content, Erica Munro and our Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon use these to illustrate how the various departments, using multiple sources, came together to create the vital information that the D-Day planners needed, in some cases even leading to last minute changes. Meanwhile our Research Officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham brings us the full story of a temporary Y Station set up at Bletchley Park just for D-Day. This episode features the following from our Oral History archive: Vera Bartram Pat Davies Edna Garbutt Enid Wenban Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #D-Day80,

  21. E163 - The Women of Newnham College (01:28:18)

    April 2024 Women were the backbone of Bletchley Park during World War Two. At its peak in January 1945, the workforce was 75% female, but even at the start of the war, women comprised a significant portion of GC&CS’s numbers. Women were recruited in a variety of ways, but a significant quantity of them, particularly early in the war, were selected direct from prominent universities such as Oxford, St Andrews and Cambridge. Over the last few years, a team of members of Newnham College Cambridge have been researching the women from their college who worked at Bletchley Park and in other wartime roles. They have discovered, astonishingly, more than 70 students and alumnae were recruited to BP. After close collaboration with the team at Bletchley Park Trust, a new exhibition presents their findings and reveals some hidden histories. In this episode, recorded at Newnham College, Bletchley Park’s Head of Content, Erica Munro, meets the three women behind this new research and we visit the exhibition to find out more about their discoveries. Dr Sally Waugh, Dr Gill Sutherland and Newnham College Archivist Frieda Midgley share what they’ve uncovered, and what surprised them, about the Newnham women who worked at Bletchley Park. This episode features our Oral History recordings of three of those Newnham women: Sister St. Paul (Biddy Evan’s) Elizabeth, Lady Reed (Elizabeth Langstaff) Mrs Brenda Lang Image: Reproduced with the permission of Dr John Clarke via Kerry Howard from her research into the life of Joan Clarke. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Newnham,

  22. E162 - Before the Codebreakers (00:56:34)

    March 2024 Bletchley Park is famous as the home of World War 2 codebreaking. But what was there before the Government Code and Cypher School moved in? Who built Bletchley Park, and what remains of the pre-war country estate? In this episode, Research Historian Dr David Kenyon and Head of Content Erica Munro examine the people who made Bletchley Park their home prior to World War 2. Sir Herbert Leon and his family bought, expanded and lived in the now-familiar Mansion, stamping their individual style on the design of the building and the estate. Surviving historical records shed an intriguing light on the Leons, their philanthropy, interests and impact on the local community. We also hear from Professor Abigail Green of Brasenose College, Oxford University, an expert on Jewish Country Houses, to discover more about the social context of the family who ‘made’ Bletchley Park. Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

  23. E161 - Learning: Past, Present and Future (00:48:43)

    February 2024 In 2023, Bletchley Park Trust completed its biggest refurbishment project to date – a £13 million, three-phase project, to open up wartime buildings at the heart of the site for the very first time. The final phase saw Block E, once the wartime Communications hub of Bletchley Park, transformed into two new resources – the Block E Learning Centre – which includes eight learning spaces able to accommodate learners from primary school pupils to students in higher education – and the Fellowship Auditorium, a state-of-the-art, 250-seat, presentation and event space. In this special episode, we join Lily Dean, Learning Manager, and Vicki Pipe, Head of Audiences and Programmes, as they give us tour of the new spaces, and reveal the inspiring activities learners can enjoy as part of our award-winning learning programme. Dr David Kenyon, Research Historian, and Dr Thomas Cheetham, Research Officer, also bring to life the wartime and post-war history of this once closed off building. Image: Learners in Block E  ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

  24. E160 - Colossus in Context Part 2 (00:51:53)

    January 2024 Eighty years ago, in January 1944, the first Colossus computer was delivered to Bletchley Park. This machine and the nine that followed it have acquired legendary status within the story of World War Two codebreaking. The machines have also been described as the world’s first large-scale electronic digital computers – direct precursors of the digital world in which we live today. But in 1944 the computer age still lay far in the future. These machines were built for a specific and vital purpose, to assist with the breaking of the wireless messages of Germany’s senior commanders, enciphered using the Lorenz cipher machine and known at BP as ‘Tunny’. What role did Colossus actually play in the breaking of Tunny? The Colossus machines were members of a wider family of machines, and the Newmanry – the department in which they operated - was only one of several teams at Bletchley Park, all of whom were crucial to the successful breaking of the cipher. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, Bletchley Park historians Dr Tom Cheetham and Dr David Kenyon are here to place ’Colossus in Context’ and examine where exactly these machines fitted into the effort to break Tunny. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents. Image: ©Crown. Reproduced by kind permission, Director, GCHQ #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Colossus80,

  25. E159 - Colossus in Context Part 1 (00:58:26)

    January 2024  Eighty years ago, in January 1944, the first Colossus computer was delivered to Bletchley Park. This machine and the nine that followed it have acquired legendary status within the story of World War Two codebreaking. The machines have also been described as the world’s first large-scale electronic digital computers – direct precursors of the digital world in which we live today.  But in 1944 the computer age still lay far in the future. These machines were built for a specific and vital purpose, to assist with the breaking of the wireless messages of Germany’s senior commanders, enciphered using the Lorenz cipher machine and known at BP as ‘Tunny’.  What role did Colossus actually play in the breaking of Tunny? The Colossus machines were members of a wider family of machines, and the Newmanry – the department in which they operated - was only one of several teams at Bletchley Park, all of whom were crucial to the successful breaking of the cipher. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, Bletchley Park historians Dr Tom Cheetham and Dr David Kenyon are here to place ’Colossus in Context’ and examine where exactly these machines fitted into the effort to break Tunny. This episode features the following contributors from our Oral History Archive: Jerry Roberts Betty Webb Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2024 #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Colossus80,

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