Bletchley Park Visit | Enigma World Code Group Forum

Joe Gavin
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Callsign: NC8D

Posts: 9

Bletchley Park Visit Jun 2, 2023 20:16:38 GMT

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Post by Joe Gavin on Jun 2, 2023 20:16:38 GMT

My wife and I will be visiting Bletchley Park on the 12th or 13th of June. Trip of a lifetime for me. As a side note, I used to work for the National Cash Register, Building 26, Dayton, Ohio in the 1970's. That was the location where Joe Desch, who was the Chief Designer of the NCR Bombe, an electromechanical version used to crack the Shark code. It was reported to be 6-10 times faster than Turnings original mechanical wonder. Even Turing himself came over to see it!

Here are a couple reference links:

daytoncodebreakers.org/more/building-26/

daytoncodebreakers.org/brief/jrd/

daytoncodebreakers.org/brief/bombe/

And the whole story on Joe Desch's wonder:

www.amazon.com/Secret-Building-26-Americas-Against/dp/0375508074/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12OJK3TZFH0JX&keywords=the+secret+in+building+26&qid=1685736551&sprefix=the+secret+in+building+26%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1

Hopefully, I'll get to take a lot of pictures there!

My best to all of you!

JoeG

Last Edit: Jun 2, 2023 20:21:43 GMT by Joe Gavin

virtualcolossus
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Posts: 10

Bletchley Park Visit Jun 3, 2023 12:01:22 GMT via mobile

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Post by virtualcolossus on Jun 3, 2023 12:01:22 GMT

Hi Joe,

If you're visiting Bletchley Park for the Bombe, make sure you also go to The National Museum of Computing (tnmoc.org) which is on the same site, but a separate small charge.
It's not currently open on Monday so if you have a choice, go on the Tues.

They have a fully working rebuild of a Turing-Welchman Bombe which they actually run and demonstrate most days, as well as a working checking machine.

As well as that, they have so many other amazing exhibits, most of them kept in running condition including a working Colossus rebuild which is the first computer which was also used at Bletchley Park to break an even more complex cipher machine than Enigma, the Lorenz!

Both sites are amazing! You'll find a full day barely enough to touch the surface of all the info they have available! Recommend getting on a guided tour to get the full story. Hope you really enjoy your visit!

I'm currently in middle of writing a 3D simulator of the Turing Bombe which will be available online, so thanks for the links to the US version, I'll have a read!

Martin Gillow
virtualcolossus.co.uk
twitter.com/VirtualColossus

Joe Gavin
New Member

Callsign: NC8D

Posts: 9

Bletchley Park Visit Jun 3, 2023 14:58:03 GMT

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Post by Joe Gavin on Jun 3, 2023 14:58:03 GMT

Hi Martin!

Thank you for your gracious note on our visit to BPark. Initially, we will be staying in the Paddington Station area and will leave from there around 9:30ish. Plan to stay full day at BP, and now looking for places to have dinner in the area before heading back to Paddington.

We will take the guided tour(s) as well.

Thank you so much for your tips!

Joe & Penny