Latest news with #codebreakers
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
How GCHQ announced end of war to codebreakers at Bletchley Park
GCHQ has released historic letters shedding light on the immediate aftermath of the Second World War for its secret codebreakers. Published to mark the 80th anniversary of the war's end, the documents offer a rare glimpse into the lives of staff at Bletchley Park. One letter from 12 August 1945 granted GCHQ personnel granted 'two days paid holidays to mark the end of hostilities in Asia', ahead of Victory in Japan Day being declared on 15 August. Another document provided a template for terminating staff employment, indicating that their vital wartime work was concluding. These insights highlight the dedication of the codebreakers, whose efforts in breaking the Enigma code significantly impacted the war and laid foundations for modern computing.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Newly released letters offer glimpse into lives of WWII codebreakers
Newly released letters from GCHQ have shed light on the immediate aftermath of the Second World War for Britain's top secret codebreakers. They reveal how staff were granted unexpected holidays and informed their vital work was concluding after Victory in Japan (VJ) Day. The intelligence agency has published the historic documents to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war. They offer a rare glimpse into the lives of those who deciphered Nazi messages during the conflict. One letter, dated 12 August 1945 – just days before VJ Day was declared on 15 August – was sent to staff at GCHQ's wartime headquarters, Bletchley Park. It stated: "All staff except the absolute minimum necessary to maintain essential services, will be granted two days paid holidays to mark the end of hostilities in Asia." According to GCHQ, then known as GC&CS (Government Code and Cypher School), such additional holiday would have been highly unusual for its dedicated personnel. The document added: 'After the VJ holidays, it is hoped that there will be no further shift working at B/P except for 'essential services'.' GCHQ staff were bound by the Official Secrets Act and were unable to talk about their secret work they carried out during the war. The second letter contains a template for telling staff their employment had ended. Their managers would have filled in the correct dates and sent it to their teams. It reads: 'Owing to the cessation of the hostilities, there is no further work for you to do in this organisation. In these circumstances there is no object in continuing to report here for duty, and with effect from ****** you are free to absent yourself. 'This letter is to be taken as formal notice of the termination of your employment in this department.' The documents show what happened to British war efforts in the days surrounding the surrender of Imperial Japan in the Second World War. At the once-secret site, wartime codebreakers used early forms of computer intelligence – cryptanalytical machines called bombes – to break the Enigma code used by the Nazis to encrypt messages. Their efforts changed the course of the war and saved millions of lives. It enabled British intelligence to move more quickly and act on the information the Bletchley team gave them, contributing to a number of key military victories. It also sparked the industrialisation of codebreaking and helped pave the way for the first forms of the computers used today. After the war, in 1946, GC&CS became GCHQ and moved out of Bletchley Park, developing into the intelligence and cyber agency it is today. GCHQ director of technology futures Marsha Quallo-Wright said: 'As someone working at the forefront of new and emerging technology for GCHQ, understanding our rich history is as important to me as looking to our future. 'We have a lot to thank our predecessors for, and the dedication and innovation shown by those working at Bletchley Park, GCHQ's wartime home, never ceases to amaze me. 'These documents help us to understand what happened to that workforce after six long years when VJ Day was declared. I'm pleased that we're able to offer this insight into their world.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Letter reveals how GCHQ told codebreakers their jobs were over after VJ Day
Letters released by GCHQ have revealed how wartime codebreakers were told their jobs were over after VJ Day. The intelligence agency has published historic documents to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan Day, shedding light on what happened to staff who deciphered Nazi messages during the Second World War. A first letter, dated August 12 1945, was sent to staff at GCHQ's wartime headquarters Bletchley Park, days before VJ Day was declared on August 15. It said: 'All staff except the absolute minimum necessary to maintain essential services, will be granted two days paid holidays to mark the end of hostilities in Asia.' According to GCHQ, extra holiday would not have been usual for staff working at the agency, then called GC&CS (Government Code and Cypher School). The document added: 'After the VJ holidays, it is hoped that there will be no further shift working at B/P except for 'essential services'.' GCHQ staff were bound by the Official Secrets Act and were unable to talk about their secret work they carried out during the war. The second letter documents a template for telling staff their employment had ended. Their managers would have filled in the correct dates and sent it to their teams. It reads: 'Owing to the cessation of the hostilities, there is no further work for you to do in this organisation. In these circumstances there is no object in continuing to report here for duty, and with effect from ****** you are free to absent yourself. 'This letter is to be taken as formal notice of the termination of your employment in this department.' The documents show what happened to British war efforts in the days surrounding the surrender of Imperial Japan in the Second World War. At the once-secret site, wartime codebreakers used early forms of computer intelligence – cryptanalytical machines called bombes – to break the Enigma code used by the Nazis to encrypt messages, changing the course of the war and saving millions of lives. Their work enabled British intelligence to move more quickly and act on the information that the Bletchley team gave them, contributing to a number of key military victories. It also led to the industrialisation of codebreaking and helped pave the way for the first forms of the computers used today. After the war, in 1946, GC&CS became GCHQ and moved out of Bletchley Park. Marsha Quallo-Wright, director of technology futures at GCHQ, said: 'As someone working at the forefront of new and emerging technology for GCHQ, understanding our rich history is as important to me as looking to our future. 'We have a lot to thank our predecessors for, and the dedication and innovation shown by those working at Bletchley Park, GCHQ's wartime home, never ceases to amaze me. 'These documents help us to understand what happened to that workforce after six long years when VJ Day was declared. I'm pleased that we're able to offer this insight into their world.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Letter reveals how wartime codebreakers were told jobs had ended after VJ Day
Letters released by GCHQ have revealed how wartime codebreakers were granted holiday and told their jobs were over after VJ Day. The intelligence agency has published historic documents to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan Day, shedding light on what happened to staff who deciphered Nazi messages during the Second World War. A first letter dated August 12 1945 was sent to staff at GCHQ's wartime headquarters, Bletchley Park, days before VJ Day was declared on August 15. It said: 'All staff except the absolute minimum necessary to maintain essential services, will be granted two days paid holidays to mark the end of hostilities in Asia.' According to GCHQ, extra holiday would not have been usual for staff working at the agency, then called GC&CS (Government Code and Cypher School). The document added: 'After the VJ holidays, it is hoped that there will be no further shift working at B/P except for 'essential services'.' GCHQ staff were bound by the Official Secrets Act and were unable to talk about their secret work they carried out during the war. The second letter documents a template for telling staff their employment had ended. Their managers would have filled in the correct dates and sent it to their teams. It reads: 'Owing to the cessation of the hostilities, there is no further work for you to do in this organisation. In these circumstances there is no object in continuing to report here for duty, and with effect from ****** you are free to absent yourself. 'This letter is to be taken as formal notice of the termination of your employment in this department.' The documents show what happened to British war efforts in the days surrounding the surrender of Imperial Japan in the Second World War. At the once-secret site, wartime codebreakers used early forms of computer intelligence – cryptanalytical machines called bombes – to break the Enigma code used by the Nazis to encrypt messages, changing the course of the war and saving millions of lives. Their work enabled British intelligence to move more quickly and act on the information the Bletchley team gave them, contributing to a number of key military victories. It also sparked the industrialisation of codebreaking and helped pave the way for the first forms of the computers used today. After the war, in 1946, GC&CS became GCHQ and moved out of Bletchley Park, developing into the intelligence and cyber agency it is today. GCHQ director of technology futures Marsha Quallo-Wright said: 'As someone working at the forefront of new and emerging technology for GCHQ, understanding our rich history is as important to me as looking to our future. 'We have a lot to thank our predecessors for, and the dedication and innovation shown by those working at Bletchley Park, GCHQ's wartime home, never ceases to amaze me. 'These documents help us to understand what happened to that workforce after six long years when VJ Day was declared. I'm pleased that we're able to offer this insight into their world.'
The Sun
12-06-2025
- The Sun
Two men ‘tried to steal bicycle from car park of high-security spy base'
TWO men have been accused of trying to steal a bicycle from a car park — unaware it was part of a high-security spy base. The pair, who later insisted they were on their way to a supermarket to get more booze for a party, were seized by armed police at GCHQ. The ring-shaped site, pictured above, in Cheltenham, Gloucs, is known as The Doughnut. It is protected by guards, CCTV and razor wire-topped fences and is home to the country's top codebreakers and cyber security experts. Last night, one of the suspects told The Sun he had been nominated by pals to go to the local Asda for beers as he was the most sober. He and his friend thought they could take a short cut through the car park. Painter and decorator Terry White, 47, said: 'As I told the cops, all I wanted to do was buy a few cans. 'It looked like a normal car park. There was a barrier, but it was raised and there were no warnings or signs. I'm born and bred in Cheltenham so I've always been aware of GCHQ. 'But I had no idea this car park was part of it.' The dad of six went on: 'When we got to the other end, I was confronted by a huge metal fence, about three metres high. 'We were thinking about climbing over it when suddenly a police car pulled up on the other side and an officer jumped out and shouted, 'Stop there!'. 'It was a really scary experience and not one I would ever want to go through again.' Gloucestershire Police said two men were detained in a car park and a bag of tools found nearby at around 5pm on Friday, June 6. FBI and GCHQ issue urgent warning over Chinese spy operation accessing people's messages, photos and location The force added: 'It is believed they were attempting to steal a bike. 'The two men, who are both in their 40s and from Cheltenham, were arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal. They have been released on bail pending further inquiries.' More than 5,000 people work at GCHQ to protect the country from cyber attacks and assist the security agencies MI5 and MI6 with encrypted messages. 1
