Bletchley Park

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E145 - Torch to Tunis Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

November 2022
The Allied victory in the Second Battle of El Alamein in November 1942 proved to be the beginning of the end of the war in North Africa. But many months of hard fighting, and the opening of a whole new front in northwest Africa, would be needed before the Allies were finally able to kick Axis forces off that continent for good.
Though often forgotten about today, the Operation Torch landings were a pivotal event which led to the first battles between German and American forces. These troops, and the intelligence personnel who supported them, had to learn their trade quickly in the toughest of circumstances.
In this 'It Happened Here' episode, Bletchley Park's Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham reveals how these lessons would prove fundamental to the Allied use of intelligence later in the war
This episode is hosted by Exhibitions Manager, Erica Munro.
Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson and Owen Moogan for voicing our archival documents.
Image: © US Army Green Books (Public Domain)
#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

E144 - Shark Attack Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

October 2022
In February 1942 the worst fears of the teams working on Enigma in Hut 8 and Naval Section were realised. The German navy introduced a new, more complex Enigma machine for use by its U-boats in the Atlantic.
At a stroke, Bletchley Park was no longer able to read messages sent by the German submarines hunting the vital Atlantic convoys.
By the end of the year, however, the new code had been broken, and BP was once again able to divine the secrets of the Atlantic U-boats. Just what was ‘SHARK’ and how was it broken by the team at BP?
Once again we are joined by Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to find the answers.
Special thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.
Featuring the following contributors from our Oral History Archive:
Arnold Hargreaves
Tommy Flowers
Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022
#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,

E143 - The Art of Data Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

September 2022
Earlier this year in April 2022, Bletchley Park opened a new temporary exhibition in a brand new gallery. The Art of Data explores how data can be visualised to reveal patterns and stories, helping us understand the world around us. The exhibition includes WW2 visualisations alongside a whole variety of striking contemporary examples, shown in objects, pictures, films and interactive displays. Visitors are invited to question the data they encounter, and take part in building their own visualisations in the gallery.
In this episode, you are invited to join me, Bletchley Park’s Exhibitions Manager Erica Munro, on a tour through the gallery. You’ll also hear from two experts who worked on the exhibition, Elin Simonsson and Andy Kirk.
Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022
#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

E142 - Veterans’ Reunion 2022 Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

September 2022
Each year, to mark the arrival of the first Codebreakers at GC&CS in 1939 we hold our Veterans’ Reunion. The Reunion is always a very special day for us at Bletchley Park as it gives us the chance to thank our Veterans for their service. For the Veterans it is a chance to meet old friends, make new ones, reminisce and tell stories of their time here.
This year it was made more poignant as because of the global pandemic, this was the first we have been able to hold since 2019. It meant that we were not sure just how many would be able to make it, but twenty Veterans and over one hundred of their family and friends managed to join us for this special day.
Podcast Producer Mark Cotton will bring you a flavour of the day and interviews with the following Veterans:
Kay Wingate
Pat Field
Anne Chetwynd-Stapylton
Miriam Myland
Jean Cheshire (wartime resident)
Betty Webb
Pat Davies
Many thanks to Alex McFadyen, editor of the official Bletchley Park magazine, Ultra, for assisting on the day.
Image: ©Will Amlot for the Bletchley Park Trust 2022
#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2,

E141 - Security & Insecurity Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

August 2022
This month instead of commemorating a World War 2 Anniversary, we have decided to do something a little different as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of The Bletchley Park Podcast.
So after 10 years and more than 170 hours of content, we decided to answer our most frequently asked question, “How was Bletchley Park kept secret?”.
Such a ‘big question’ would be too much for just one historian to answer, so this month we have three. Our Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon & Research Officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham are joined by GCHQ’s former Departmental Historian, Tony Comer as they delve into Bletchley Park’s wartime Security & Insecurity.
Special thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing our archival documents.
This episode features Wyn Ribchester from our Oral History Archive.
Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022
Producers Note:
We would like to thank everyone who has helped to create the show over the last decade. The list is far too long for here, but I’ve included many of them in the middle of this show.
Finally, the biggest thank you has to go out to our loyal listeners; we have so much fun making these shows for you. Thanks for sticking with us and here’s to the next 10 years.
#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Spys,

E140 - Intelligence in the Arctic Jul 25, 2022

Show notes

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 StripHarry Hinsley
Image: HMS Victorious on escort duty. Mick Chalkley (Fleet Air Arm 1939-45)
#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #PQ17

E139 - The Pacific Turns Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

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

E138 - SIXTA May 27, 2022

Show notes

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

E137 - The Intelligence Factory May 06, 2022

Show notes

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.
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

E136 - Scaling Up Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

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 ColchesterSheila Willson
Image: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2022
#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #TheIntelligenceFactory

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