Cracking Enigma took dedicated teams

The Daily Telegraph Letters
11 September 2006

Cracking Enigma took dedicated teams
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Sir - The report "Bletchley hums again to the Turing Bombe" (September
7) took me back more than 60 years to the smell of hot machinery and
constant noise. As a young RAF technician, I worked at Bletchley Park and
its outstations over a number of years during the war, assisting in
maintaining bombes 24 hours a day.

The task was enlivened by the presence of the multitude of Wrens who
operated the machines. No doubt they had volunteered for the Wrens in the
expectation of a posting to a Royal Navy station with numerous handsome
sailors. In reality, hundreds of them found themselves at Bletchley or its
outstations working shifts over 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on
arduous duties operating bombes.

They never complained, were always cheerful, conscientious and very
patriotic, as well as being good fun off duty. The country's lasting
gratitude goes to these young women, now elderly like myself, and to those
no longer with us.

Stan Ingram, Romsey, Hants
                                                                                                                

Sir - The article about Bletchley Park concerns the excellent work in
cracking the Enigma code. However, no mention is made of the sterling work
done by the dedicated operators at the intercepting stations who supplied
all the material needed for decoding.

Hundreds of members of the Royal Signals and girls of the Y Signals
Auxiliary Territorial Services (ATS) worked at radio sets, covering 24
hours a day, recording vague and faint messages in code transmitted by the
German forces. They worked in isolation and had no idea of the importance
or destination of their "scribble"; all they knew was that tight secrecy
was essential.

I was stationed at Beaumanor Park in Leicestershire and Kidleston Hall in
Derbyshire, two of the most important intercepting stations, from March
1943 until August 1945. I am proud of the good work done by the ATS, which
should be given credit for that very stressful and difficult job, and for
maintaining secrecy throughout.

No leaks in those days.

D. M. Hedges, Tamworth, Staffs


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