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ww2: The story behind the scenes of Bletchley Park
ww2: The story behind the scenes of Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park was where one of the war’s most famous – and crucial – achievements was made: the cracking of Germany’s “Enigma” code in which its most important military communications were couched. This country house in the Buckinghamshire countryside was home to Britain’s most brilliant mathematical brains, like Alan Turing, and the scene of immense advances in technology – indeed, the birth of modern computing. The military codes deciphered there were instrumental in turning both the Battle of the Atlantic and the war in North Africa.
This really has to be seen to be believed. 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.
There are no words to describe walking into the huts, around the lake, into the mansion house…..every step you take feels as if you’re on sacred ground as when you think about it, you are. You can almost hear the echoes of the past whispering through the walls. When you get to see Alan Turing’s desk – speechless.
The huts are a lot smaller than you think, the park itself so compact that you can’t imagine how so many people could work here and work here without knowing what everyone else was doing. This is one place you will never ever forget once you’ve seen it through your own eyes.
Author/Guide: Sinclair McKay Destination: Bletchley Departure Time: WW2
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