April 2023 

80 years ago, Bletchley Park’s communications centre opened in Block E. Employing hundreds of staff, mainly young women, this block was vital to BP’s smooth running.

Most messages and reports coming into and out of Bletchley Park went through Block E. But as we’ll hear in this ‘It Happened Here’ episode, its wartime importance doesn’t necessarily mean its value has been fully recognised today. Block E is still standing, and is due to open to the public later this year, 2023, as Bletchley Park’s brand new Learning Centre.

Here to help us set the record straight and rediscover the value of Block E is our Research Officer Dr Thomas Cheetham, who has been researching the building and its various departments.

Many thanks to Dr Ben Thompson, Sarah Langston and Maria Turnbull for voicing our archival documents.

Image: Block E Cypher Office showing Mr Alfred Sidney White (wearing glasses). © Crown. Reproduced by kind permission, Director, GCHQ

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