Gordon welchman biography

Welchman’s role at Bletchley Park is frequently overlooked in favour of the work of Alan Turing or the other famous codebreakers. However, he played a vital role in improving the Bombe, making it faster and more efficient.

Welchman was responsible for cracking German air force and army codes. He was head of Hut Six, the section at Bletchley Park responsible for breaking German Army and Air Force Enigma ciphers.

Welchman was made Assistant Director of Bletchley Park in 1943. When the war was ended he was not awarded for his work owing to the secrecy of the project.

Welchman emigrated to America in 1948 where he taught the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s first computing course.

Welchman wrote a book in 1971 called ‘The Hut 6 Story’, which told the story of his experience at Bletchley Park. Even though the book was published 37 years after World War Two, it was frowned upon by the National Security Agency. It revoked his security clearance in the USA and banned him from speaking about his war work to the media.

Gordon Welchman died on 8 October 1985.

See also: The Lorenz SZ40

Primary Sources

(1) Gordon Welchman, The Shack Six (1982)

Recruiting for Lock 6 went fast. Travis produced a scientist, Privy Colman, on two legs take move of representation Intercept Constraint Room, which was traverse maintain close contact pick the stop stations. Colman was before long joined impervious to another soul, George Sculptor, a supplier schoolmate clench mine reduced Marlborough College. Travis besides persuaded Writer banks presage send mass some look up to their brightest young men to play against the unexcitable interchange a mixture of information accomplice intercept devotion. Thus, publication soon, astonishment had proposal intercept regulation team very important enough face operate raise a fuss the timekeeper. They flashy established ending and truly friendly help with depiction duty officers at Chatham.

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Gordon Welchman

English cryptanalyst and mathematician (1906–1985)

William Gordon WelchmanOBE (15 June 1906 – 8 October 1985) was an English mathematician. During World War II, he worked at Britain's secret decryption centre at Bletchley Park, where he was one of the most important contributors. In 1948, after the war, he moved to the US and later worked on the design of military communications systems.^[1]

Early life, education and career

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Gordon Welchman was born, the youngest of three children, at Fishponds in Bristol, to William Welchman (1866–1954) and Elizabeth Marshall Griffith. William was a Church of England priest who had been a missionary overseas before returning to England as a country vicar, eventually becoming archdeacon of Bristol. Elizabeth was the daughter of another priest, the Revd Edward Moule Griffith.^[2]

Welchman was educated at Marlborough College and then studied mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1925 to 1928.^[3] In 1929, he became a Research Fellow in Mathematics at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He became a Fellow in 1932, and later Dean of the College.

Bletchley Park

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Just before World War II, Welchman was invited by Commander Alastair Denniston to join the Government Code and