The Secrets of Station X

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The Secrets of Station X Page 31

by Michael Smith


  Page 61 Knox reaction: TNA PRO HW 25/12, A. G. Denniston, How News was brought from Warsaw at the end of July 1939.

  Page 62 Twinn on QWERTZU: Michael Smith, Station X, Decoding Nazi Secrets, TV Books, New York, 1999, pp.30–31; Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.127.

  Page 63 Delivery of Enigma machine to Menzies: Gustave Bertrand, ENIGMA ou La Plus Grande Enigmé de la Guerre 1939–45, Plon, Paris, 1973, p.60.

  Pages 64–8 Recruitment of staff: TNA PRO HW 62/21, Denniston to Howard Smith, 25 November 1938; Undated memo on ‘Available Emergency Staff’; TNA PRO HW 3/83, Cooper, Air Section GC&CS and the Approach to War 1935–39, pp.17–18.

  Pages 65–66 Wilkinson recruitment: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.61.

  Page 67 Vincent recruitment: Andrew, Secret Service, p.452.

  Pages 68–2 Diana Russell Clarke: interview with Diana Barraclough, May 1998.

  Page 69 Orders for move to Bletchley: TNA PRO HW 62/21, Move of Service Sections to War Station 15 August 1939, dated 2 August 1939.

  Pages 70–3 De Grey memories: TNA PRO HW 3/95, History of Air Sigint, Chapter II, Sitz and Blitz: 1939–1940, pp.76–7.

  Pages 71–4 Lack of German coverage: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, pp.68–69.

  Pages 72–5 Green memories: TNA PRO HW 3/146, Edward Green, Memories of Naval Section.

  Page 73 Cooper on secrecy and staff put up in hotels: TNA PRO HW 3/83, Cooper, Air Section GC&CS and the Approach to War 1935–39, p.22.

  Page 74 Diana Russell Clarke: interview with Diana Barraclough, May 1998.

  Pages 75–6 Senyard memories: TNA PRO HW 3/135, The History of Miss Senyard’s Party, German Naval Section BP 1939, p.3.

  Page 76 Rounders and attitude of academics: Smith, Station X, pp.35–6.

  Page 77 Abernethy: interview with Barbara Eachus, May 1998.

  Page 78 Dryden: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.195

  Page 79 Cooper on start of war: TNA PRO HW 3/83, Cooper, Air Section GC&CS and the Approach to War 1935–39, p.22.

  Page 80 Denniston on overcrowding at Bletchley: TNA PRO HW 14/1, Denniston to Menzies, 12 September 1939.

  Page 81 Construction of the huts: TNA PRO HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, pp.77,91; HW 14/1, Denniston to Sinclair, 16 September 1939; Denniston, 29 September 1939.

  Page 82 Abernethy memories: interview with Barbara Eachus, May 1998.

  Pages 83–84 Senyard memories: TNA PRO HW 3/135, The History of Miss Senyard’s Party, p.33.

  Page 85 Attempts to get Polish codebreakers to Britain: TNA PRO HW 14/3, Denniston to Menzies, 9 January 1940; Menzies to Rivet, 10 January 1940; Menzies to Denniston, 25 January 1940.

  Page 86 Poles’ treatment in Bucharest: Stephen Budiansky, Battle of Wits, Viking, New York, 2000, p.121.

  Page 87 Dryden memories: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.198.

  Pages 88–2 Turing: TNA PRO HW 25/3, A. M. Turing, Mathematical theory of ENIGMA Machine, p.136.

  Pages 89–3 Cillies: TNA PRO HW 43/70, History of Hut 6, pp.53–4; interviews with Susan Wenham and Mavis Batey, May 1998.

  Page 90 Knox resignation threat: TNA PRO HW 14/3, Knox to Denniston, 7 January 1940.

  Page 91 Turing visit to France: TNA PRO HW 43/70, History of Hut 6, pp.53–5; HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, p.90

  Page 92 Creation of Hut 6: TNA PRO HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, p.91.

  Pages 93–6 Need to find a way of reporting and protecting Enigma decrypts: TNA PRO HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, p.97.

  Page 94 GCHQ covername: TNA PRO HW 14/3, CSS Memo dated 21 February 1940.

  Page 95 Barred Zones: TNA PRO HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, p.99.

  Page 96 Lyddekker memories: Smith, Station X, p.53.

  Page 97 Cooper on German ladies: TNA PRO HW 3/83, Cooper, Air Section GC&CS and the Approach to War 1935–39, p.29.

  Pages 98–8 Davies memories: Smith, Station X, pp.53–4 and Gwen Watkins, Cracking the Luftwaffe Codes: The Secrets of Bletchley Park, Greenhill Books, London, 2006, p.54.

  Page 99 Wenham: interview with Susan Wenham, May 1998.

  Page 100 Information on ‘Y stations’: TNA PRO HW 3/92, History of UK Military Sigint; TNA PRO HW 3/83, Cooper, Air Section GC&CS and the Approach to War 1935–39, p.28.

  Pages 101–102 Joan Nicholls: Smith, Station X, pp.37–8.

  Page 103 For detailed papers on DF, RFP and TINA see TNA PRO HW 18/89; HW 14/12, Saunders to Travis, Possibilities of RFP, 28 February 1941.

  Pages 104–105 Joan Nicholls: Smith, Station X, pp.37–8, 112–4.

  Page 106 Cooper on Blandy refusal: TNA PRO HW 3/83, Cooper, Air Section GC&CS and the Approach to War 1935–39, p.27.

  Page 107 Cheadle agrees to put 20 sets on Enigma: TNA PRO HW 14/4, Interception of Enigma Traffic, 20 March 1940.

  Page 108 Bletchley Park Control: Erskine & Smith (eds), Bletchley Park Codebreakers, pp.73–74.

  Pages 109–3 Joan Nicholls: Smith, Station X, p.49.

  Page 110 Blisters: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.91; Erskine & Smith (eds), Bletchley Park Codebreakers, p.69.

  Page 111 Twinn on codebreaking: interview with Peter Twinn, May 1998.

  Pages 112–6 Lever on codebreaking: interview with Mavis Batey, May 1998.

  Page 113 Twinn on codebreaking: interview with Peter Twinn, May 1998.

  Page 114 Russell Clarke on machine room: interview with Diana Barraclough, May 1998.

  Page 115 Hut 3 reporting: TNA PRO HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, p.30.

  Page 116 Number of officers in the know: TNA PRO HW 14/4, CX/FJ signal to Head of GC&CS dated 8 April 1940.

  Page 117 Hut 3 reporting to MI6 Sections II and IV: TNA PRO HW 14/4, Minute Sheet on CX/FJ Information, dated 14 April 1940.

  Page 118 Hut 3 beginning only ‘small beer’: TNA PRO HW 3/119, F. L. Lucas, History of Hut 3.

  Page 119 Lucas quotes: TNA PRO HW 3/119, Lucas, History of Hut 3, pp.27–8.

  Page 120 De Grey on invasion of Denmark and Norway and effect on Bletchley: TNA PRO HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, pp.102–104.

  Page 121 Hut 3 shifts double in size: TNA PRO HW 3/119, Lucas, History of Hut 3, p.28.

  Pages 122–2 Jones on Gilbert Frankau: R. V. Jones, Most Secret War: British Scientific Intelligence 1939–45, Hamish Hamilton, London, 1978, p.79.

  Pages 123–3 Hut 3 early days: TNA PRO HW 3/119, Lucas, History of Hut 3, pp.24–5.

  Page 124 Use of MI6 secure link to send Enigma decrypts to Norway: Michael Smith, Foley: The Spy Who Saved 10,000 Jews, Politicos, London, 2004, pp.161–9; TNA PRO WO 106/1904, ‘Sickle’ Force: General Paget’s report on operations; WO 106/1912, Scandinavia Operations; general; HW 5/1, Operations mainly in Norway and Northern Europe.

  Pages 125–5 Battle of France and changes to indicating system: TNA PRO HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, p.105; HW 43/70, History of Hut 6, p.4.

  Pages 126–7 Herivel: interview with John Herivel, May 1998.

  Pages 127–8 Milner-Barry: TNA PRO HW 43/70, History of Hut 6, pp.3–5.

  Page 128 Calvocoressi: Smith, Station X, p.63.

  Page 129 Birch on value of intelligence and use of Ultra, plus MI6 link to GHQ France: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, pp.113–5; HW 3/119, Lucas, History of Hut 3, p.221; HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, p.108.

  Pages 130–131 Information on SCUs and SLUSs: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.118; Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.23; Geoffrey Pidgeon, The Secret Wireless War, USPO, London, 2003, passim; Frederick Winterbotham, The Ultra Secret, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1974.

  Page 132 Increase in size and attachment of MI6 officers: TNA PRO HW 14/14, Hut 3, 4 April 1941.

  Pages 133–2 Ralph Bennett comments: Smith, Station X, p.58.

  Pages 134–3 Process in Hut 3 and Lucas on Sorter’s role: TNA PRO HW 3/119, Lucas, History of Hut 3, p.32.

  Page 135 Millward: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, pp.20–23.


  Page 136 Jim Rose comments: interview with Jim Rose, May 1998.

  Page 137 De Grey section, initially known as ‘Distribution and Research’: TNA PRO HW 14/10, de Grey, Report on Work of Hut 3a, 8 January 1941; HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.198.

  Page 138 Senyard on French officers: TNA PRO HW 3/135, History of Miss Senyard’s Party, p.21.

  Page 139 Lever: interview with Mavis Batey, May 1998.

  Page 140 French re-location: Budiansky, Battle of Wits, p.146; Smith, Station X, p.65.

  Pages 141–6 Bombes: TNA PRO HW 3/164, Squadron-Leader Jones’ Section; Gordon Welchman, The Hut Six Story (revised ed.), M. & M. Baldwin, Cleobury Mortimer, 1997; Smith, Station X, pp.72–3.

  Pages 142–7 De Grey on Sea Lion: TNA PRO HW 3/95, de Grey, History of Air Sigint, pp.129–30.

  Page 143 Kennedy: The Diaries of Captain Malcolm Duncan Kennedy, 1917–1946, Kennedy Collection, Sheffield University Library, entry for 15 May 1940.

  Pages 144–8 Twinn on Turing: interview with Peter Twinn, May 1998.

  Page 145 Ann Harding on Turing and Twinn: Imperial War Museum interview with Ann Harding, ref 05/67/1.

  Page 146 Currer-Briggs: interview with Noel Currer-Briggs, May 1998.

  Pages 147–9 Senyard on threat of invasion: TNA PRO HW 3/135, History of Miss Senyard’s Party, pp.20–21.

  Pages 148–149 Column BQ emergency mobile unit: TNA PRO HW 14/10, Head of GC&CS [Denniston] to The Director [Menzies] 8 January 1941; HW 14/12, Denniston, BQ Party, 22 February 1941; Smith, Station X, p.71.

  Pages 150–151 Bonsall quotes: A. W. Bonsall, An Uphill Struggle: The Provision of Tactical Sigint Support to the Allied Air Forces in Europe in WWII, Bletchley Park Trust, Bletchley, 2011 (the author is grateful to Bill Bonsall for making the text of this invaluable paper available ahead of publication).

  Page 152 Bonsall recruitment: email from Bill Bonsall, 20 September 2010.

  Page 153 Cooper creates Computor Clerks: TNA PRO HW 3/83, Cooper, Air Section GC&CS and the Approach to War 1935–39, p.29; HW 14/11, Cooper to Boyle, 25 January 1941, Folio 8a.

  Page 154 Bonsall quotes: Bonsall, An Uphill Struggle.

  Pages 155–3 Home Defence Units: TNA PRO HW 3/119, Lucas, History of Hut 3, pp.124–6.

  Page 156 Birch on Air Section: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.169.

  Pages 157–4 Lavell comments: interview with Ann Cunningham, May 1998.

  Page 158 Jones on Cooper: Jones, Most Secret War, pp.61–2.

  Page 159 Davies on Cooper: Smith, Station X, p.69

  Pages 160–6 Milner-Barry and breaking of the Brown: TNA PRO HW 43/70, History of Hut 6, pp.5,75,199.

  Pages 161–7 Jones on implications of the breaking of the Brown Enigma: Jones, Most Secret War, pp.85–95, 135–9.

  Pages 162–8 Intelligence on Coventry raid: F. H. Hinsley et al., British Intelligence in the Second World War, Vol. 1, HMSO, London, 1979, pp.528–48.

  Page 163 ‘Vital intelligence’ and concerns over security of Enigma: TNA PRO HW 14/10, Saunders to Vivian, Security of Source CX/JQ, 20 January 1941.

  Page 164 Memories of Keith Batey kindly supplied by Mavis Batey. His memory matches that of R. V. Jones as stated in Jones, Most Secret War, p.149.

  Pages 165–9 Kennedy on bombing of Bletchley Park: Kennedy Diaries, 21 November 1940.

  Page 166 Air Section intelligence reports allowed (from June 1942): Bonsall, An Uphill Struggle; John Stubbington, Kept in the Dark, Pen & Sword, Barnsley, 2010, pp.41–2, 179.

  Page 167 Alexander and Birch on Naval Enigma difficulties TNA PRO HW 25/1, C. H. O’D. Alexander, Cryptographic History of Work on the German Naval Enigma, pp.19–20; HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.93.

  Pages 168–169 Alexander on Turing: TNA PRO HW 25/1, Alexander, Cryptographic History of Work on the German Naval Enigma, p.20.

  Page 170 Hinsley recruitment: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.77; email to author from Bill Bonsall.

  Pages 171–2 Senyard: TNA PRO HW 3/135, The History of Miss Senyard’s Party, pp.10–11.

  Page 172 Hinsley on links to OIC: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, pp.77–8.

  Pages 173–4 Hinsley on Glorious: Hinsley, British Intelligence, Vol. 1, pp.141–3; Smith, Station X, pp.78–9; Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.78.

  Page 174 Morgan: TNA PRO ADM 223/297.

  Page 175 Birch: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.164.

  Page 176 Green: TNA PRO HW 3/146, E. Green, Genesis, p.4.

  Page 177 Birch on types of Naval Enigma: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.93.

  Page 178 Senyard: TNA PRO HW 3/135, The History of Miss Senyard’s Party, p.19.

  Pages 179–7 German patrol boat looted: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.93; HW 25/1, Alexander, Cryptographic History of Work on the German Naval Enigma, pp.24–25.

  Page 180 Wolf Packs: I. C. B. Dear and M. R. D. Foot (eds), The Oxford Companion to the Second World War, OUP, Oxford, 1995, pp.62–9.

  Page 181 Clarke on recruitment into Hut 8: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, pp.113–4.

  143 Pages 182–9 Noskwith on Kendrick: Erskine & Smith (eds), Bletchley Park Codebreakers, p.194.

  Page 183 Birch on Turing and Twinn: TNA PRO HW 25/2, A. P. Mahon, History of Hut 8, p.23.

  Page 184 Knox on Turing: TNA PRO HW 14/1, ADK to Denniston (undated), Folio 16.

  Pages 185–186 Twinn on Turing: interview with Peter Twinn, May 1998, and Smith, Station X, pp.83–4.

  Pages 187–188 Details of Ruthless: TNA PRO ADM 223/464, Operation Ruthless; HW 25/2, Mahon, History of Hut 8, p.25; Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, Enigma: The Battle for the Code, Phoenix, London, 2002, pp.113–5.

  Page 189 Birch ‘fair does’: TNA PRO HW 25/2, Mahon, History of Hut 8, p.29.

  Page 190 Effect of Lofoten pinch: Erskine & Smith (eds), Bletchley Park Codebreakers, p.169.

  Page 191 Tandy: Smith, Station X, p.87.

  Page 192 Noskwith on ‘gardening’: Erskine & Smith (eds), Bletchley Park Codebreakers, pp.190–91; Smith, Station X, p.87.

  Page 193 24-hour working and Scarborough teleprinting to Hut 8: TNA PRO HW 25/2, Mahon, History of Hut 8, p.27.

  Pages 194–195 Successes in June to September: TNA PRO HW 25/1, Alexander, Cryptographic History of Work on the German Naval Enigma, p.30; Erskine & Smith (eds), Bletchley Park Codebreakers, pp.169–70.

  Page 196 Yoxall break into Offizier: TNA PRO HW 25/1, Alexander, Cryptographic History of Work on the German Naval Enigma, p.33.

  Pages 197–198 Time taken for Bombes to find wheel orders: ibid, p.12.

  Page 199 Noskwith on Banburismus: interview with Rolf Noskwith, May 1998.

  Page 200 Mahon on Banburismus: TNA PRO HW 25/2, Mahon, History of Hut 8, pp.16–18.

  Pages 201–202 Twinn on Banburismus process: interview with Peter Twinn, May 1998.

  Pages 203–204 Halcrow: interview with Marjorie Halcrow, June 1998.

  Page 205 Welchman on Freeborn: Welchman, Hut Six Story, pp.181–2.

  Page 206 U-Boat sinking of allied shipping: Hinsley, British Intelligence, Vol. 1, p.169.

  Pages 207–208 Maclennan: Smith, Station X, pp.91–3.

  Page 209 Numbers of Wrens working on Bombes and where: TNA PRO HW 3/164, History of Sqn-Ldr Jones’ section, the Bombe Hut, 1940–45.

  Page 210 Quirk: interview with Barbara Quirk, May 1998.

  Page 211 Joan Baily: Smith, Station X, pp.93–4.

  Page 212 German preparations for occupation of the Balkans: Hinsley, British Intelligence, Vol. 1, pp.353–73. Tiltman and Rocket: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, p.116.

  Page 213 Tiltman: Ralph Erskine & Peter Freeman, ‘Brigadier John Tiltman: One of Britain’s Finest Cryptologists’, Cryptologia 27, 2003.

  Pages 214–6 P. W. Filby, ‘Floradora and a Unique Break into One-Time Pad Cyphers’, Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Autumn 1995).

  Pages 215–7 Milner-Barry and Welchman and expansion of Hut 6 operations: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, Histor
y of Sigint, p.206; HW 43/70, History of Hut 6, p.6.

  Page 216 Light Blue broken: TNA PRO HW 43/70, History of Hut 6, p.4; F. H. Hinsley et al., British Intelligence in the Second World War, Vol. 2, HMSO, London, 1981, p.660.

  Page 217 Italian codes and cyphers: Hinsley, British Intelligence, Vol. 1, pp.198–205.

  Pages 218–21 Matapan: interview with Mavis Batey, May 1998; Batey, Dilly, pp.114–28; Dear & Foot (eds), Oxford Companion, pp.190–91.

  Pages 219–3 Crete: TNA PRO HW 3/174, The Use of ‘U’ in the Mediterranean and North West African Theatres of War, pp.3–4; HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.215; Ralph Bennett, Ultra and Mediterranean Strategy 1941–1945, Hamish Hamilton, London, 1989, pp.51–62.

  Page 220 Herivel on Crete: interview with John Herivel, May 1998.

  Pages 221–5 Bismarck: Hinsley & Stripp, Codebreakers, pp.53–5, 103; Hinsley, British Intelligence, Vol. 1, pp.342–5.

  Page 222 Kennedy on Bismarck: Kennedy Diaries, 27 May 1941.

  Pages 223–6 Krakow assembly: TNA PRO HW 1/3, Large troop movement April 3: Romania to Krakow; Hinsley, British Intelligence, Vol. 1, pp.451, 460, 465.

  Page 224 Hut 3 report: Smith, Station X, p.99.

  Page 225 Distressing decrypts; Hinsley, British Intelligence, Vol. 2, pp.669–73.

  Page 226 Move to Chicksands from Chatham: TNA PRO HW 43/1, Birch, History of Sigint, p.192.

  Page 227 Messages broken by Tiltman and then in Hut 5: TNA PRO HW 3/82, Notes on Military Section – German Police Section; HW 14/4, Denniston to Menzies, 29 April 1940.

  Page 228 Message on 1,153 Jewish plunderers: TNA PRO HW 16/45, selected reports illustrating GP (German Police) war crimes in Russia and the Ukraine, 18 July 1941.

  Page 229 3,274 Partisans: TNA PRO HW 16/45, 4 August 1941, item 9.

  Page 230 More than 30,000: TNA PRO HW 16/45, 7 August 1941, item 24.

  Page 231 Bletchley Park analyst: TNA PRO HW 16/6, bound volume of BP GP periodic summaries, p.4.

  Page 232 Winston Churchill, BBC broadcast, 24 August 1941.

  Pages 233–30 Germans kill 367 Jews: TNA PRO HW 1/30, Police Regiment South Shot 367 Jews, 28 August 1941.

 

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