The Saber and Scroll Journal • Volume 9 , Number 2 • Fall ( Sept .) 2020
Mair Thomas : Life at Bletchley Park
Gina Pittington American Military University
Abstract
Breaking the German Enigma Codes by Britain ’ s intelligence team at Bletchley Park ( BP ) was considered to be one of World War II ’ s best-kept secrets . Better than the secret itself is the fantastic feat of nearly ten thousand people keeping that secret for decades from friends and family , both during and following the war . In recent years , women have begun to gain recognition for their part in the codebreaking operation at BP . Less recognized are the women who tirelessly listened to radio transmissions at Y Stations across the globe , waiting for enemy communication . Women made up about 75 percent of BP ’ s workforce and were the backbone of the cryptology team that broke Germany ’ s so-called unbreakable codes . Nearly eight thousand women are listed on the Honour Roll at the installation , who kept silent for decades . The contributions of women at BP are too numerous to detail ; therefore , this paper highlights memories of a few who were interviewed by various authors and focus primarily on one woman ’ s experience and life at BP , Mair Eluned Russell-Jones ( née Thomas ).
Keywords : Enigma Code , women ’ s history , World War II , Bletchley Park , Hut Six , Ultra , X-station
Mair Thomas : la vida en Bletchley Park
Resumen
Romper los códigos alemanes por parte del equipo de inteligencia británico en Bletchley Park ( BP ) se consideró como uno de los secretos mejor guardados de la Segunda Guerra Mundial . Mejor que el secreto en sí es la fantástica hazaña de casi diez mil personas que lo han mantenido oculto durante décadas a amigos y familiares , tanto durante como después de la guerra . En los últimos años , las mujeres han comenzado a ganar reconocimiento por su participación en la operación de descifrado de códigos en BP . Menos reconocidas son las mujeres que escucharon incansablemente las transmisiones de radio en las estaciones Y de todo el mundo ,
7 doi : 10.18278 / sshj . 9.2.3