Bletchley Park Week
In March 2021, we once again celebrated our unique partnership with Bletchley Park through a programme of online events.
New Histories of the Second World War
As the storm clouds of World War Two gathered over Britain, brilliant minds worked tirelessly at Bletchley Park to break the German enigma ciphers. The secret intelligence unravelled by code-breakers was vital to the war effort and is thought to have shortened the conflict by years.
But what about those working in intelligence across the globe, on behalf of Britain and its allies, whose stories have not been heard?
This was the question at the heart of this year’s Bletchley Park Week. We heard new voices and their histories: from the incredible bravery of ‘spy princess’ Noor Inayat Khan to those working in secret for Bletchley Park across the Indian Ocean region and East Africa, as well as a looking at diversity in Britain during World War Two.
Did you miss our live online events? Watch the recordings below.
| Date | Event | Time / watch the film |
| Tuesday 9 March | Spy Princess: The life of Noor Inayat Khan | Watch the film |
| Wednesday 10 March | Behind the Scenes at the Museum: Careers in the Museums and Heritage Sector | Watch the film |
| Wednesday 10 March | Bletchley, Code-breaking and World War Two in Asia | Watch the film |
| Thursday 11 March | Mixing It: Diversity in World War Two Britain | Watch the film |
| Friday 12 March | The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell’s 1984 | Watch the film |
Enigma Machine Demonstration
Bletchley Park’s Outreach Learning Officer Andrew Fryer and Exhibitions Manager Erica Munro take a closer look at an Enigma machine and how it works.
0:52 – What is an Enigma machine?
1:07 – How does an Enigma machine work?
2:02 – How do the Enigma rotors work?
3:04 – How do you set up an Enigma machine?
3:14 – Enigma settings sheet
11:34 – Enigma plugboard set up
14:34 – Enigma three letter password