Latest news with #codebreaking
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
The Nazis' secret weapon: Incredibly rare Enigma machine built AFTER Alan Turing's Bletchley Park experts cracked original code
An incredibly rare four rotor Enigma machine used by the Nazis during the Second World War has emerged for sale for £300,000. The Nazis sent coded messages through the cipher machines to their ships and U-boats to plan devastating attacks on Allied shipping. The British codebreakers at Bletchley Park, led by Alan Turing, cracked the original three rotor Enigma machines in 1941. A subsequent dramatic fall in the number of Allied ships being sunk led the Germans to suspect the Enigma had been compromised. As a result, in February 1942, they introduced a new fourth rotor wheel which multiplied the number of available settings another 26 times. But the codebreakers at Bletchley were again able to crack it, enabling them to decipher a staggering 84,000 German messages a month. Some experts believe their work may have shortened the war by up to two years. Since the Nazi high command ordered the Enigma machines be destroyed towards the end of the war to prevent them falling into enemy hands, surviving examples are extremely scarce. The rare surviving example of the improved M4 cipher machine is going under the hammer at auctioneers Bonhams, of Knightsbridge, London. The machine - which measures 6ins by 11ins by 14ins - has three moving wired rotors, a fixed reflector and a plug board located behind a wooden flap at the front. A Bonhams spokesperson said: 'The M4 differs from other models in that it has a fourth, additional but non-rotating and non-interchangeable rotor that increased the complexity of the enciphering process. 'It was the fourth naval model and was particularly intended for use by the U-boat division. 'Production of this model began in late 1941 and it was introduced early into 1942. 'With the increased complexity introduced by this model, the M4 came as a shock to Allied codebreakers and went unbroken for nine months, until the capture of important key sheets aboard the U-559 by British sailors in October 1942. 'Traffic enciphered by the M4 was codenamed SHARK by Allied codebreakers and this eventual breach of this communications channel played an important role in the Battle of the Atlantic. 'The German High Command ordered that Enigma machines be destroyed in the event that capture by Allied forces was imminent, so few survive today. 'The M4 is rarer than its Army counterpart, the Enigma I, with just 70-80 surviving examples of the M4 recorded worldwide, of which only about half are in private hands. 'The M4 offered by Bonhams is a very fine, well-preserved example.' The sale takes place on September 9. Turing remains the most high-profile of the Bletchley Park codebreakers, in large part because of his incredible feats and subsequent tragic fate. The genius, who was gay at a time when homosexual relations were illegal, was convicted of gross indecency with a man in 1952. He chose to be chemically castrated over going to prison and took his life just two years later aged 41.
National Post
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Four Canadian books you need to read this summer
Article content Whether you're headed to the beach, the cottage or the backyard, it's always a good idea to take along a mixed bag of Canadian-made reading material. Article content A Most Puzzling Murder Bianca Marais MIRA Famed enigmatologist Destiny Whip is faced with a life-and-death dilemma in this interactive novel, billed as 'a quirky, humorous locked-room murder mystery with riddles and puzzles for the reader to solve.' A reclusive orphan, Destiny is lured to a peculiar island castle with a promise that her family's deepest secrets will finally be revealed to her. Accepting a challenge to solve a series of mysteries surrounding the castle's enigmatic owners, the Scruffmore clan, she explores secret passages, decodes cryptic messages and discovers that one of the Scruffmores is in grave danger. A murder is afoot, and the intended victim's life is in Destiny's hands. Article content The Paper Birds Jeanette Lynes HarperCollins Speaking of enigmas, did you know Canada had a Bletchley Park-like code-breaking operation during the Second World War? Canadian women who worked at the top-secret Ontario location were a remarkably tight-lipped bunch. When the war ended, they were told to never speak of their roles at Canada's first 'cryptographic bureau,' and many took the secret to the grave. When the bureau's existence was publicly acknowledged a few years back, author Jeanette Lynes (The Apothecary's Garden), was inspired to create fictional codebreaker Gemma Sullivan, a recent high-school graduate who lands a job at a bureau in Mimico, Ont., in 1943. Raised by her elderly, puzzle-loving Aunt Wren, Gemma's home life is complicated by the need for secrecy. Before long, her work life is complicated by a different secret — a budding relationship with a handsome German-Canadian prisoner of war held in a nearby PoW camp. Article content Lowfield Mark Sampson Now or Never Publishing Divorced, insomniac New Brunswick cop Riley Fuller is haunted by a traumatic past event when he arrives in the village of Lowfield, on Prince Edward Island. Riley needs a quiet space to rest and heal. Little does he know there's likely to be more trauma in his future after he decides to restore a dilapidated old mansion that's been in his family for generations. Since the village was abandoned decades ago, and the house has sat empty for 60 years, there may be a good reason why nobody lives there. Well, maybe not a good reason — more likely a sinister one. Article content Article content Crash Test Amy James Avon Formula One race-car driver Travis Keeping's love life hits the skids when a multi-car crash leaves his boyfriend clinging to life in a French hospital. Travis and Formula 2 driver Jacob Nichols have kept their romance a secret for the past year, and it's beyond awkward when Travis meets the parents at Jacob's bedside. It's even more awkward when Jacob wakes up from a coma and realizes he has to make a heartbreaking choice — disappoint his homophobic family or put the brakes on his relationship. Either way, recovery is going to be the pits. Article content
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bletchley Park veteran living in Lincoln marks her 106th birthday
A woman who worked at the Bletchley Park codebreaking centre during World War Two is celebrating her 106th Mace worked as a teleprinter operator at the site where Alan Turing cracked the Nazi's Enigma at the Cloverleaf Care Home in Lincoln, where Mrs Mace now lives, said she had led a remarkable has also worked as an Easter egg decorator at Woolworths and ran a 20-bed guest house in Devon. Born on 26 June 1919, Mrs Mace was one of 13 children but grew up in a two-bedroom cottage in she turned 21, she joined the met her husband, Ron, a driver in the Army, in an air raid shelter while she was living in went on to work at Bletchley Park, the Buckinghamshire code-breaking centre, where staff were responsible for decrypting enemy asked what her secret to a long and healthy life was, Mrs Mace said, "No alcohol, and cycling as I never learnt how to drive a car."However, she admitted her "guilty pleasure" was a Marks & Spencer chocolate trifle. Care home manager Jill Packwood described the birthday girl as "amazing"."She came to us about a month after her 100th birthday, so we've had the pleasure of celebrating five big birthdays with her, and she absolutely loves all the attention," Ms Packwood said Mrs Mace was proud to have been involved in operations at Bletchley Park, but remained "very guarded" about what went on there."Even at 106, she is not giving away any national secrets," she Packwood said Mrs Mace had a great sense of humour, and was fiercely competitive when it came to Packwood said they were planning an afternoon tea party to celebrate her birthday, but the big day also coincided with a Glastonbury party at the care home, featuring a local singer and a "legend's stage". Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alan Turing papers found in loft set to fetch £150K after nearly being shredded
Scientific papers by codebreaking war hero Alan Turing which were discovered in a loft are expected to fetch £150,000 at auction - after almost being shredded. The incredible archive was found gathering dust in an attic in Bermondsey, London, after its owner moved into a care home and her daughters began clearing out her loft. Among the documents which were nearly destroyed was a personal copy of the mathematical genius' PHD dissertation from 1938-39 and his first published paper from 1935. The papers, known as "offprints", had originally been gifted by Turing's mother, Ethel to her son's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge. They were produced in very small numbers and distributed within academia, making them "incredibly scarce" survivors that rarely ever appear on the market. The documents were nearly destroyed. (Image: SWNS) The collection is now expected to sell for between £100,000-£150,000 when it goes under the hammer at Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffs, on June 17. Turing was one of the famous codebreakers at Bletchley Park who played a vital role in cracking the Enigma code, which led to Allied victory in World War Two. Despite helping to shorten the war by an estimated four years, on March 31 1952, he was prosecuted for homosexual acts and died from cyanide poisoning on June 7, 1954, aged 41. Shortly before pleading guilty, Turing sent a poignant letter to Norman Routledge, the original owner of the papers being sold. The letter, known as 'Yours in distress', was read by Routledge when he appeared in "The Strange Life and Death of Dr Turing" on the BBC's Horizon in 1992. It has also since been read by Benedict Cumberbatch after it was presented by Routledge to King's College, Cambridge, where it now resides in The Turing Archive. The collection is expected to make £150k. (Image: SWNS) But he kept the collection of Turing's offprints, which were eventually rescued by his nieces and nephews. One of the nieces explained: 'Following his retirement from Eton College, Norman bought and lived in a house in Bermondsey. "When he died in 2013, two of his sisters had the unenviable task of sorting through and emptying the contents. "There were lots of personal papers which one sister carted away and stored in her loft. The papers lay dormant until she moved into a care home almost a decade later. "Her daughters came across the papers and considered shredding everything. "Fortunately, they checked with Norman's nieces and nephews because he'd always been a presence in our lives. The papers were saved by Turing's friend, Norman. (Image: SWNS) Adding: "One cousin felt the Turing and Forster papers might be of interest to collectors. "After taking them home for a closer look, she decided to attend a local valuation day hosted by Hansons Auctioneers, who consigned them for research with their specialist saleroom, Rare Book Auctions. "We were bowled over by the valuations and level of enthusiasm.' The collection includes his PhD dissertation from 1938-39, Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals, which is signed by Turing, having been his personal copy. This document alone has been valued by the auction house at £40,000 to £60,000 as has his 1936-37 paper entitled On Computable Numbers. The paper introduced the world to the idea of a 'universal computing machine', which, despite the model's simplicity, is capable of implementing any computer algorithm, and has been described as the first programming manual of the computer age. The papers have been checked by experts. (Image: SWNS) Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, who is more famed for finding Harry Potter first editions, described the collection as "the most important archive I've ever handled.' He said the exchange of offprints had historically been a method of correspondence between scholars and is prized by collectors as representing the first separate edition of an important work. He added: 'Nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to find in that carrier bag. "These seemingly plain papers-perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers - represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing. "Literature has always been my forte, not mathematics, so the past few months of intensively researching and cataloguing these papers has left me feeling that Alan Turing was superhuman. The collection includes letters. (Image: SWNS) "For me, it's like studying the language of another planet, something composed by an ultra-intelligent civilisation." The collection also includes The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis, which dates from 1952, and is Turing's lesser-known masterpiece of mathematical biology. It has since become a basic model in theoretical biology, describing what have come to be known as 'Turing patterns'. Mr Spencer said: 'As recently as 2023, a study confirmed Turing's mathematical model hypothesis as outlined in The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis. "In this way the papers are still alive. They're still relevant and groundbreaking. 'We even have Turing's first published paper from 1935 – Equivalence of Left and Right Almost Periodicity – which is simply a single sheet of paper. The collection is set to get interest from around the world. (Image: SWNS) "And the provenance couldn't be better. The archive was gifted to Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Arthur Routledge (1928-2013) by Turing's mother Ethel - and we have her handwritten letter explaining this." In the letter, dated May 16, 1956, Ethel Turing says: 'I have to-day sent by registered post 13 of Alan's off-prints...I don't know what people in Cambridge thought of the manner of Alan's death. "I am convinced it was accidental as the experiment of coke under electrolysis – which smelt of cyanide had been going on for weeks – I feel sure he got some of this on his fingers & so on to the apple he customarily ate in bed...I have had some requests to write a biography of Alan...I have masses of material because from the time he was about 6 I spotted a winner – despite many detractors at school – and kept many papers about him.' Mr Spencer added: "This fascinating letter is a golden thread that neatly ties up and seals the authenticity of everything being offered. "The potential value compels us to offer the papers individually. The price is unknown and could run to any amount. Recommended Reading London company allowed to keep name as lawsuit dropped Beckenham woman befriends stray dog in Bali to bring home London chimney sweeper shares what the job is really like 'Anything with a direct connection to Turing is highly desirable and almost impossible to find. "These papers were owned by his close friend Norman, having been gifted to him by Turing's mother. That's what makes this collection so significant. 'Hardly anything like this appears on the open market, so predicting hammer prices is fortune-telling." Adding: "I suspect interest will be strong in Silicon Valley – where Turing's influence shines brightly – but it would be lovely to see material acquired by institutions who could share things with the public."
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Alan Turing's papers nearly shredded after being found in a loft
A cache of papers found in a loft and almost shredded is expected to fetch £150,000 after it was identified as the pioneering work of Alan Turing. The papers, described as the foundations of computer science, include the wartime codebreaker's signed copy of his 1938 PhD dissertation, Systems of Logic Based on Ordinals. It is valued between £40,000 and £60,000. Also included is his paper On Computable Numbers, also known as Turing's Proof, which introduced the world to the idea of a universal computing machine in 1936. It is has been described as the first programming manual of the computer age, and also has a guide price of £40,000 to £60,000. Turing played a vital role in cracking the German Enigma code, crucial to the Allied victory in the Second World War. But he was later persecuted for being a homosexual and took his own life in 1954 at the age of 41. After his death his mother, Ethel Sara Turing, gave her son's papers to Norman Routledge, a loyal friend of Turing and fellow mathematician. She wrote Routledge a covering letter in which she said her late son 'always believed that he had a gift'. She also expressed her doubts his death was suicide, stating she was convinced it was accidental poisoning by cyanide. Before he pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of gross indecency for homosexual acts in 1952, Turing sent Routledge a poignant letter known as 'Yours in distress'. Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Turing in the 2014 film The Imitation Game, has been recorded reading out the letter. Routledge kept the papers for the rest of his life, storing them in the loft of his home in Bermondsey, south London. After his death in 2013, his sister stored them in her attic. When she moved into a care home, her daughters were on the verge of putting them in a shredder with her other documents, but a relative advised seeking an expert opinion. Jim Spencer, of Rare Book Auctions of Lichfield, was stunned when he opened the carrier bag full of documents at a valuation day. He said: 'These seemingly plain papers – perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers – represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing.' He explained that the papers, known as offprints, were produced in very small numbers and distributed among fellow scholars, making them incredibly scarce survivors. The sale takes place on June 17. The 13 lots of the Turing Papers also include The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis, from 1952. This, it is said, is Turing's lesser known masterpiece of mathematical biology, and his last major published work. It has since become a basic model in theoretical biology. There are also letters written to Routledge from EM Forster, the novelist. One of his nieces said: 'Norman was an amazing man who showed genuine interest in everyone he came into contact with. His family were very important to him. He kept in regular contact and was interested in what each one was doing.'
