I found this really interesting...home of the codebreakers..

[Guest]

For your entertainment..

Bletchley Park: Home of the Codebreakers - Google Cultural Institute

Danny

[Andy2035]

I can highly recommend going there and having a look around, I've been there a couple of times, they had a couple of 4X4 events going on so I popped there originally to see that, but ended up doing a tour, very interesting...

[Guest]

Thanks for that. Really interesting. Bletchley Park ranks in importance with that other great and hugely important success: The Battle of Britain. I learned recently that Hitler's plan to invade Britain included a landing in North-East Scotland, where I grew up in my extended family. A sobering thought.

I have family in Germany and Germans sometimes criticise us for going on about the War. But it was a very important and very dangerous part of out recent history and for those of us who lived through it, albeit as a child, it is important and it could easily have gone the other way.

[Guest]

Hi Steve, I find the secrecy they had to follow very intriguing....glad you enjoyed the read..

Danny

[flyjoe180]

Interesting reading Danny, cheers. Some nice photos in that presentation too.

[Guest]

I've been to BP twice now and found it fascinating. My Dad (as a 1LT in the Intelligence Corps) worked there on the Japanese Army codes -- one of a relatively small number who were taught enough Japanese to do so. He mainly worked on the "Water Transport Code", about troop movements by sea. These weren't as complex as Enigma / Magic but were important across the SEAC and Pacific theatres. He ended up in Washington DC in 1945 and apparently had about 48 hours notice of the Japanese surrender, but obviously could not talk about it (in fact he did not even mention his part until after the Bletchley secret came out in the 1970s)

I would heartily recommend a visit to BP if you can -- there is even a display by the local railway modelling society, and a good book/gift shop -- and if you get a chance to talk to any of the (fast declining) group of BP veterans, so much the better.

The only thing to avoid is the café, which appears to still be offering period food (as in "left over from the 1940's")