Bletchley Park code breakers

macafee2 · 13th March 2021, 16:27

Just watched a recording of War Factories.
It featured the code breakers of Bletchley Park.
After the Enigma came what "we" called Tunny but the Germans called Lorenze. It made Enigma look like a child's toy.

What I found fascinating was how "easily" the sequence was spotted.
I say easy, it seemed "easy" for the mathematician that saw the sequence,
the code eventually broken due to a sloppy transmission by a German soldier.

Not just Alan Turing but William Tutte and Tommy Flowers were also geniuses

I also thought Colossus was dismantled however it lives.
Once covid is "over" this is on my list of places to visit
https://www.tnmoc.org/colossus?gclid...SAAEgLcevD_BwE

Some TV is very informative

macafee2

stevestrat · 13th March 2021, 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by macafee2

Not just Alan Turing but William Tutte and Tommy Flowers were also geniuses

Yes then in 1952 Turing was "thanked" by being prosecuted for being a homosexual and chemically castrated. The conviction cost him his security clearance meaning he could no longer work as a code breaker at GCHQ. He died in 1954 from cyanide poisoning, it was presumed deliberate but could have been accidental. He was eventually posthumously pardoned in 2013.

macafee2 · 13th March 2021, 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevestrat

Yes then in 1952 Turing was "thanked" by being prosecuted for being a homosexual and chemically castrated. The conviction cost him his security clearance meaning he could no longer work as a code breaker at GCHQ. He died in 1954 from cyanide poisoning, it was presumed deliberate but could have been accidental. He was eventually posthumously pardoned in 2013.

Having watched the film Imitation Game I felt ashamed of how he was treated

macafee2

AndyN01 · 13th March 2021, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by macafee2

.....
Once covid is "over" this is on my list of places to visit
https://www.tnmoc.org/colossus?gclid...SAAEgLcevD_BwE

macafee2

You'll need more than one visit

.

I've been 3 times and it's almost beyond belief what they did.

Have a great time.

They used to do an entry ticket that was valid for as many visits as you liked in a year. Highly recommended if it's still available.

solarsailor · 13th March 2021, 20:55

Perhaps Bletchley Park would make a good venue for a future National Meet - as and when circumstances allow.

planenut · 14th March 2021, 08:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by solarsailor

Perhaps Bletchley Park would make a good venue for a future National Meet - as and when circumstances allow.

That creates another problem, in that if the venue is too interesting, as opposed to convenient, one is torn between supporting the meet or sprinting round exhibition.

torque2me · 15th March 2021, 16:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevestrat

He was eventually posthumously pardoned in 2013.

Much good that did him

I wonder if they used Colossus to break other nation codes that used cipher machines the same as or similar to the Enigma and Lorenze?

Kev

torque2me · 15th March 2021, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by macafee2

Having watched the film Imitation Game I felt ashamed of how he was treated

macafee2

Not only him, but Tutte and Flowers.

Kev

AndyN01 · 15th March 2021, 20:43

Forgot to add.

There's the museum of computing quite literally just up the road.

For those of us of a certain age it's like being a kid again.... I had one of those

.

Gives an idea of how far things have come

.

Enjoy.

macafee2 · 15th March 2021, 21:18

FWIW getting on for 40 years ago I worked in the RAF Uxbridge bunker where the Battle of Britain was controlled from. I was working as a BT internal construction engineer The area is so different nowadays, it is no longer an RAF place.
Worth a visit but when I went last year they were still to open parts of the bunker

macafee2

13th March 2021, 16:27	#1
macafee2 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon & Tourer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Lincoln Posts: 14,928 Thanks: 1,630 Thanked 3,032 Times in 2,181 Posts	Bletchley Park code breakers Just watched a recording of War Factories. It featured the code breakers of Bletchley Park. After the Enigma came what "we" called Tunny but the Germans called Lorenze. It made Enigma look like a child's toy. What I found fascinating was how "easily" the sequence was spotted. I say easy, it seemed "easy" for the mathematician that saw the sequence, the code eventually broken due to a sloppy transmission by a German soldier. Not just Alan Turing but William Tutte and Tommy Flowers were also geniuses I also thought Colossus was dismantled however it lives. Once covid is "over" this is on my list of places to visit https://www.tnmoc.org/colossus?gclid...SAAEgLcevD_BwE Some TV is very informative macafee2

13th March 2021, 20:55	#5
solarsailor Posted a thing or two 75 Saloon 1.8T Club SE Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Colchester Posts: 1,225 Thanks: 87 Thanked 653 Times in 344 Posts	Perhaps Bletchley Park would make a good venue for a future National Meet - as and when circumstances allow. __________________ This vehicle was born on Wednesday June 4th 2003 @ 08:24:38 This vehicle was the 73,905th 75 to run off the production line, out of 112,381 This vehicle was the 1,862nd 75 1.8 T Club SE to be made out of 3,980 This vehicle was the 6,856th 75 in Wedgewood Blue to be made out of 7,515 Wedgewood Blue 75s

15th March 2021, 20:43	#9
AndyN01 This is my second home Toyota RAV4 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Tamworth Posts: 3,076 Thanks: 2,478 Thanked 1,579 Times in 968 Posts	Forgot to add. There's the museum of computing quite literally just up the road. For those of us of a certain age it's like being a kid again.... I had one of those . Gives an idea of how far things have come . Enjoy. __________________ Andy. http://www.midlandsnanomeets.co.uk/

15th March 2021, 21:18	#10
macafee2 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon & Tourer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Lincoln Posts: 14,928 Thanks: 1,630 Thanked 3,032 Times in 2,181 Posts	FWIW getting on for 40 years ago I worked in the RAF Uxbridge bunker where the Battle of Britain was controlled from. I was working as a BT internal construction engineer The area is so different nowadays, it is no longer an RAF place. Worth a visit but when I went last year they were still to open parts of the bunker macafee2