Women at Bletchley: A Wren's Story and a Researcher's Reflection
DateTuesday 24 February 2026
Time12:00-13:00
LocationThe Hub
CostFree
Join us for a special discussion to hear two very different stories about the Women of Bletchley Park – a personal account and a researcher’s perspective.
We are honoured to welcome Mary Stewart, who served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) and at Bletchley Park during the Second World War, who will tell us about her experiences at that time. The Wrens, as they were known then, were the female branch of the British Royal Navy, formed initially in 1917 (WWI) and reformed in 1939 (WWII) to release men for sea service by filling crucial land-based roles like clerks, drivers, wireless operators, and codebreakers, serving globally and integrating into the Navy until officially disbanding in 1993 as women joined the Navy directly.
We will also hear from Sir Dermot Turing, whose book, “Misread signals”, highlights the crucial, often overlooked roles of women at Bletchley Park.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided immediately before the talk, from 11.30am.
Sir Dermot Turing
Sir Dermot Turing is a Visiting Fellow of Kellogg College, and the acclaimed author of Prof, a biography of his famous uncle, The Story of Computing, and most recently Misread Signals.
Mary Stewart was a Bombe operator during the War. Bombe machines were designed by Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman to break German Enigma codes. Operators were mostly women from the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens), who worked shifts in a tedious but vital role that involved setting up the machines, identifying “stops,” and passing potential settings to codebreakers,
Mary Stewart
Bletchley Park Week:
This event is part of our annual Bletchley Park Week (22-27 February) programme of events celebrating a partnership between Kellogg College and Bletchley Park. This year’s theme is: “The Age of AI”.
Open to: Members of Kellogg College, Oxford University members, the public,