Bletchley Park

On Friday 5th July, 41 Year 10 Computer Science students were selected by their Computer Science teachers to visit Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes. As well as a tour of the main exhibition, which included the role Bletchley Park had on D-Day, we also listened to an educational talk on cyber security and got to see an actual Enigma machine!

 

In the morning, we were split into two separate groups, and the first half of the day consisted of having a lesson on the importance of being aware of staying safe when using technology, such as mobile phones. We were even shown the Enigma Machine, an encryption device now worth £200,000, used at Bletchley Park during World War Two that the Allies used to intercept messages from the Axis, shortening the War by two years thereby saving millions of lives. 

 

After lunch – where we all enjoyed the sunny, summer weather in the grounds of the Bletchley Mansion – we had a tour of the main exhibition. Here we learnt more about the workers who used the Enigma Machine to decipher messages from the Axis, and how it proved invaluable to the D-Day plans, through information given by the tour guide, a short 12-minute film, and the various huts. The tour guide was very helpful, answering the many, inquisitive questions that we all asked regarding this interesting topic. By the end of the day, we were all impressed by the role of those who participated in deciphering the Enigma Code during the Second World War.

 

We would like to thank the staff: Mr King, Mr Hawkins, Ms Hibbert and Ms Brown – for taking us on this trip, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. 

 

Rajan Aulakh 10G