Why a Booktrail?
1930s – 1950s: The story of the remarkable women who worked at Bletchley
The Bletchley Girls
What you need to know before your trail
The Bletchley Girls weaves together the lives of fifteen women who were all selected to work in Britain’s most secret organisation – Bletchley Park. It is their story, told in their voices; Tessa met and talked to 15 veterans, often visiting them several times. Firm friendships were made as their epic journey unfolded on paper.
Locations
Reset- England - Bletchley Park
- A: Bletchley Park - The train station
- B: Hut 12
- C: Hut 11
- D: The Cottages
- E: Bletchley Park Mansion
Travel Guide
Bletchley Park
“The scale of female involvement in Britain during the Second World War wasn’t matched in any other country. From 8 million working women just over 7000 were hand-picked to work at Bletchley Park and its outstations. There had always been girls at the Park but soon they outnumbered the men three to one.
A refugee from Belgium, a Scottish debutante, a Jewish 14-year-old, and a factory worker from Northamptonshire – the Bletchley Girls confound stereotypes. But they all have one common bond, the war and their highly confidential part in it. In the middle of the night, hunched over meaningless pieces of paper, tending mind-blowing machines, sitting listening for hours on end, theirs was invariably confusing, monotonous and meticulous work, about which they could not breathe a word.”
A visit to Bletchley is unbelievably poignant and moving. The cramped conditions, the cold winds rattling through the doors, the basic tables and chairs, the lack of comforts and the secrecy. But amidst all that some of the best brains in the country saved millions from death by shortening the war by about two years.
Trail Gallery
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Bletchley Girls
Destination: Bletchley Author/Guide: Tessa Dunlop Departure Time: 1930s -1950s
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