Podcast
Bletchley Park
Hosted by Bletchley Park · EN
Bletchley Park is the home of British codebreaking and a birthplace of modern information technology. It played a major role in World War Two, producing secret intelligence which had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the conflict. The site is now a museum and heritage attraction, open daily.
The Bletchley Park Podcast brings you fascinating stories from Veterans, staff and volunteers on the significance and continued relevance of this site today.
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
E183 - 'Ladies & gentlemen, go your ways!'
Sep 2501:01:55Tap to summarizeSeptember 2025In 1945, Britain celebrated VE Day in May and VJ Day in August, as the war - first in Europe and then the Far East - came to an end. For the staff of GC&CS and its larger worldwide network, this meant that the vital and exhausting work they'd been doing suddenly stopped. The lives of all of them had been changed forever, but each person's experience was different.Bletchley Park's Oral History archive is a treasure trove of Veterans' testimonies. In this It Happened Here episode, we will be digging into our sound archive to focus on how the workers reacted and what happened to them once peace was declared, in their own words. Our guide through these stories is Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon.This episode features the following Veterans’.Nora CoplestonMiriam MylandMary KenyonRon UnwinBetty LawrieJohn StathamBetty FlavellFay GoldJoan SmeatonGwen PageDot TuffinKenneth NicholsonJohn MoseleyJimmy ThirskRena StewartMary EveryDaphne CanningBetty WebbLady Marion BodyMargaret ThomasImage: ©Bletchley Park Trust 2025#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #VEDay80, #VJDay80,
Transcribe →
E182 - "… and Peace at Last"
Aug 2201:02:38Tap to summarizeAugust 2025On 15 August 2025 the UK commemorated the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, the day on which the surrender of Japan and the end of World War Two was announced.This was a significant moment at Bletchley Park as it meant the end of almost six years of non-stop codebreaking and intelligence work.For many it also brought an abrupt halt to years of training to learn Japanese and long journeys to reach postings in India, Sri Lanka and elsewhere in preparation for the upcoming invasion of Japan itself.In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode we are joined by Bletchley Park’s historians Dr Tom Cheetham and Dr David Kenyon to discuss how the Japanese war ended and the part played by Bletchley Park and signals intelligence.Our thanks go to Owen Moogan and Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our historical documents.Image: Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri. Public Domain, United States Navy.#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #VJDay80,
Transcribe →
E181 - Blitzkrieg in Burma
Jul 23, 202500:54:23Tap to summarizeJuly 2025By late 1944, the tide had turned against the Japanese in south-east Asia, with the repulse of their attempted invasion of India. However, the multi-national Allied forces in Burma still faced enormous challenges if they were to retain the initiative, and push the enemy out of the country.Every mile travelled from their supply bases, across barely-navigable expanses of jungle and mountain, exposed Allied troops to greater difficulties and risk of starvation and destruction. It was a struggle against the terrain and a race against time to liberate Burma before the arrival of the monsoon. In this struggle, intelligence and deception were essential weapons in the Allied arsenal.In this It Happened Here episode, Head of Audiences and Programmes Vicki Pipe is joined by Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham to explore the 1945 battles for Burma and the race to Rangoon which formed the climax of Britain’s war against Japan.This episode features Veteran’s Eric Rhodes, Roy Buckmaster and Dennis Underwood, from our Oral History archive.Our thanks go to Owen Moogan and Dr Ben Thompson for voicing our historical documents.Image: Oil painting of General William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim.#BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #14thArmy,
Transcribe →
E180 - Dire Straits
Jun 29, 202501:00:48Tap to summarizeJune 2025 In May 1945 the Royal Navy fought its last surface action against the Japanese fleet, sinking the cruiser Haguro in the Mallaca Strait, off the coast of Malaya. The successful location of the enemy ship was the result of signals intelligence. It was also a product of the sophisticated network built up by Britain, the USA and Australia after 1943 to intercept, decipher and distribute intelligence around the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, we are joined by Bletchley Park’s Research Historian Dr David Kenyon to discuss the role of the Codebreakers in this milestone on the road to ultimate victory over Japan in 1945. This episode features Veteran Edward Simpson from our Oral History archive. Our thanks go to Dr Ben Thompson and Owen Moogan for voicing our historical documents. Image: Public Domain #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma,
Transcribe →
E179 - Dollis Hill Days
May 30, 202500:59:01Tap to summarizeMay 2025 During World War Two, Bletchley Park collaborated with several external engineering institutions in developing the famous codebreaking machines, such as the Bombes and Colossus. One such institution was the Post Office Research Station at Dollis Hill in London. In 2022, the previously secret war diary of the Research Station were released online to the public by BT, the successor to GPO Telecommunications. In this episode we are joined by James Elder, an archivist from BT Group Archives, as well as our own Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon, to find out what information the diaries can reveal about this secret collaboration. Many thanks to Dr Ben Thomson for voicing extracts from the War Diary. Image: © Courtesy of BT Group Archives (TCB 473/P 5105) #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #WW2, #Enigma, #BT, #GPO,
Transcribe →
E46 - The Bismarck
May 10, 2016Tap to summarizeMay 2016 This month in the Bletchley Park Podcast’s It Happened Here series, we tell the story of The Bismarck. The iconic German battleship was sunk by the Royal Navy 75 years ago. While this clearly did not happen at Bletchley Park, but in the Atlantic Ocean, codebreaking and some of the pioneering techniques developed as part of it played a crucial role in locating the flagship of the German fleet. Bletchley Park’s Research Historian, Dr David Kenyon, explains how work going on in wooden huts in the Buckinghamshire countryside contributed to the ship’s destruction, which was vital for the Allies, both strategically and symbolically. Jane Fawcett worked in Hut 6 from 1940. She recalls “It may be the most important thing that any of us have ever done in our lives. We didn’t realise it at the time, but we do now.” Hear about the special Bletchley Park beer being launched at the Fathers’ Day BBQ next month, and there’s news of how the ever-popular 1940s Boutique is expanding. Also in this month’s episode, Dermot Turing opened up his family archive to give a rare insight into the man who’s become a figurehead for the breath-taking achievements of the Bletchley Park Codebreakers, his uncle, Alan Turing. Alan Turing died before Dermot was born but his legend looms large in the family and Dermot has written a book, debunking some of the myths that have grown up about this intriguing man, and giving a unique family perspective on his remarkable work and the tragic end to his life. We hear highlights of Dermot’s talk at Bletchley Park, sharing some of what’s in his book, Prof: Alan Turing Decoded. Visit Bletchley Park. It happened here. Book now. Image: ©shaunarmstrong/mubsta.com In memory of Jane Fawcett, who passed away on 21 May 2016. #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #Enigma, #WW2Veteran, #History, #Turing, #Bismarck
Transcribe →
Celebrating family pride
Dec 29, 2015Tap to summarizeDecember 2015 Veterans’ families encouraged to join community and buy a brick Pride burns bright in relatives of the men and women whose secret work at Bletchley Park and its outstations helped shorten World War Two. The Bletchley Park Trust is in touch with more than 1,500 Veterans of the clandestine codebreaking organisation, the Government Code and Cypher School. Many more are no longer with us. Now, for the first time, the Trust is reaching out to its Veterans’ families to join a global community, celebrating their connection to this remarkable piece of history. “I find it spine-tingling to walk into the Mansion knowing I’m walking where my father and my grandfather walked and never could tell anyone.” This was Anthony De Grey’s reaction to entering the Mansion when he visited Bletchley Park, the place where not only his father, John De Grey, and grandfather, Nigel De Grey, worked but also his aunt, Barbara De Grey, and her future husband, Patrick Vans. Anthony was touched to discover two photographs of his father in the guidebook. He said, “I find it difficult to hold back the tears at a time like that. Thank you for giving me the opportunity because I’m just delighted to contribute to this place, which is still far too secret.” Candy Connolly is the granddaughter of Commander Alastair Denniston, the first Operational Director of the Government Code and Cypher School. Denniston welcomed new recruits to Bletchley Park in his office in the Mansion, which has been returned to its World War Two appearance. Candy said, “I’m very proud and amazingly fortunate to be sitting in this office of his. When you see Bletchley Park become so strong in our modern history and in modern life, and bring us the technology that we use every day, that connection is amazing.” Michael De Grey is proud to be part of the Bletchley Park community. His grandfather, father, aunt and uncle all worked here during World War Two. Michael’s grandfather, Nigel De Grey, started out as a Codebreaker during World War One . He decoded the Zimmerman telegram, which was an important factor in drawing America into WW1. Michael said, “My grandfather is reputed to have said at a meeting in the office a few days later, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, the toast is America because now we are going to win the war.’ My grandfather did something life saving for our country. What would have happened if they hadn’t decoded that telegram?” Sarah Harding’s mother, Dorothy Harding, recalls her time at Bletchley Park with fond memories. Sarah said, “Recently she was reminiscing about her time there and she fell into a reverie. An hour later she said to me, “I can see the hut clearly. It’s all in front of my eyes. I can’t leave Bletchley.” “Is it a happy place,” I asked. “Oh yes,” she said.” Her mother’s World War Two work as a wireless operator and Morse slip reader means that Sarah is keen to be a part of the 21st century Bletchley Park. Hear more from Candy, Michael, Anthony and Sarah in the Bletchley Park Podcast. If you are related to someone who worked at Bletchley Park or one of its outstations, please email friends@bletchleypark.org.uk to join this unique community. Image: ©Crown. Reproduced by kind permission, Director, GCHQ #BPark, #Bletchleypark, #Enigma, #WW2Veteran, #History,
Transcribe →