From The Argus:
“Veteran, 103, who helped
crack Enigma Code is finally given medals for service”
A 103-year-old woman who helped
Alan Turing crack the Enigma Code during World War Two has finally been
recognised for her service.
Mary Watkins volunteered for the
Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1939 when she was 19 and was selected for
special duties with MI8 because of her love for crosswords and solving puzzles.
She was told her work would be top secret and she would never be able to talk
about it, nor would there be any formal recognition for what she did.
Mary started work on a punch card
system of coded letters and numbers which came from the German code device the
Enigma Machine. The machine was used by the German military to send encoded
strategic messages. After being promoted to sergeant, she went work at
Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, supporting the team that finally cracked the
Enigma Code. Mathematician Alan Turing led the Bletchley Park team to develop a
machine which could decipher the German messages.
Code cracker Mary, who is now a
resident at Brendoncare Stildon care home in Dorset Avenue, East Grinstead, had
previously only received a lapel badge in recognition for her intelligence. However,
her daughter Bobby Cadwallader discovered last year that she could apply to the
Ministry of Defence to finally receive the medals. Mary received a veteran’s
pin badge similar to the lapel badge she had already been given for her
services, then Bobby received a call to say her mother was entitled to a
defence medal and a war medal that includes the dates of World War II. Bobby
said: “We were thrilled when we got the call to say she was entitled to these
medals. “She is delighted with these medals now. At 19 she signed the Official
Secrets Act and told she would never get any recognition, never receive any
thanks or be able to tell anyone what she did. “She is still very reluctant to
talk about her work. We are all so proud of her.”
The Brendoncare Foundation is a
charity providing care homes and community services for older people across the
south of England. It is celebrating 40 years since it become a charitable
organisation on February 14.
^ Her work helped save Allied
Ships, Allied Soldiers and Allied Supplies going from Canada and the United
States to the United Kingdom during World War 2.
I’m glad she was finally recognized
for her work. ^
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