Codebreakers | Recruitment - Real life stories from the Veterans of Bletchley Park

During World War Two, Bletchley Park used various recruitment techniques. We asked some of our Veterans about their experiences and journey to Bletchley Park.
This video features Bletchley Park Veterans Anne Chetwynd-Stapylton, Pauline Lee, Christine Brose, Pat Davies and Charlotte 'Betty' Webb, who talk about their experiences of being recruited at Bletchley Park.
0:09 How were you recruited?
1:51 Secret training base
2:21 Signing the Official Secrets Act
Subscribe to our TH-cam Channel to uncover even more secrets from Bletchley Park.
Discover More
Visit Bletchley Park: bit.ly/2vBFKyK
Become a Friend: bit.ly/2PNhRen
Bletchley Park Roll of Honour: bit.ly/2x96pmG
Bletchley Park Podcast
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3tubepI...
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast...
AudioBoom: audioboom.com/channel/bletchl...
Facebook: / bletchleypark1
Twitter: / bletchleypark
Instagram: / bletchleyparkuk
About Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is a vibrant heritage attraction and museum, open daily to visitors.
It was the home of British World War Two codebreaking; a place where technological innovation and human endeavour came together to made groundbreaking achievements that have helped shape the world we live in today.
This unique site was previously a vast Victorian estate, where parts including the Mansion still survive, expanding during wartime to accommodate Codebreakers Huts and Blocks.
During World War Two, the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), now known as the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), was based at Bletchley Park. It grew from a small team of specialists to a vast intelligence factory of thousands of dedicated women and men. This extraordinary combination of brilliant and determined people and cutting-edge technology contributed significantly to Allied victory. In tough conditions, they provided vital intelligence and developed pioneering technological innovation that had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the war.
The site continues to reveal secrets and tell fascinating stories of our national legacy.

[@amandacd]

My mother died in 2018 with dementia. A year or so before she went into care her husband told me she'd been stationed at Bletchley Park as a WAAF. She didn't ever want to say much about her WAAF career other than how proud she was to have served during WWII. When asked she initially said she could not talk about it. She remembered her service number and after some reassurance she told me a little about her time there - It all matched to the experiences I listened to in a subsequent visit to BP. I'd dearly love to know more and so wish she'd talked about it more before her health and memory declined. Vanda Ashton stationed Chicksands and Blackbrook aged 18 and 19.. I think she was a switchboard operator as that's what she was trained to do but she wouldn't say what she did other than it had something to do with secret messages!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Great women of the early Bletchley days. They still have great memories! Fascinating stories, thanks for posting this! ~ Victor, at CHAP

[@christinemartin4069]

I visited Mum's service at bletchley Park during the WW2. I wish I'd asked her what she was doing at Bletchley Park before her Parkinson disease got worse. 😢 she kept her sercet until the 1970s.

[@elenaphelan2675]

Thank you is not…. Forever grateful ❤❤❤

[@gm83]

Awesome! It's like Rosie the Riveter stories on steroids! Could add captions or turn the music down so that we might hear these soft-spoken warriors a bit better.

[@BletchleyParkTrust]

Thank you for your feedback, we are looking at updating our videos with captions for ease of access.

[@gm83]

@@BletchleyParkTrust Thank you.

[@elenaphelan2675]

❤

[@dinerouk]

Fot those who fancy a greater insight into this, a book. 'The Secret life of Bletchley Park', by Sinclair Mckay is recommended.

[@kikeena1]

Great video but the sound is very quiet. Unfortunately I couldn't hear properly.

[@victoriaalmen4512]

I agree. The music is very loud and drowns their voices ...

[@christinemartin4069]

It's captions

[@cccmmm1234]

Why overlay with usic? It makes it harder to hear what they are saying and adds no value.

[@johnbb99]

Absolutely.

[@williamryland9896]

Nice lady

[@matabeleman]

very nice lady

[@matabeleman]

good british stock...

[@gibboman]

Can the music be removed please. Let their voices alone tell the story

[@johnbb99]

What a pity you didn't capture these precious memories more clearly. Nobody would object if there had been a microphone in shot if that was what was needed to get clear recordings. Please go back to your original recordings and put them up here instead of the current audio - without the unnecessary and unhelpful music.
(As a professional sound recordist, I know what I'm talking about.)
If I was a relative of one of these wonderful people, I would be fuming.