WHY STEAM TRAINS HELPED TO WIN WWII !

The railways played a significant role during WWII.  Petrol rationing and the fact that very few people owned cars meant that train travel was the only way of travelling any distance, though this was discouraged. Posters were everywhere asking the public if their journey was really necessary.  Posters also reminded the Home Front of the importance of using the trains for war work.  It was the steam trains that evacuated children from cities to the safety of the countryside. Wagons weighing 50 tons (Warwell) were designed and built to carry Sherman tanks supplied by the U.S.A.  Troops, rescued from Dunkirk, were picked up at Dover and transported by rail to hospitals and camps. Top secret recruits travelled to Bletchley Park station to begin their work as codebreakers. Supplies of food, equipment, ammunition, coal and the movement of troops were dependant on the railway network.

The railway workers, often women, replaced the men who were away fighting, Everyone ensured that the trains kept running, despite sometimes severe weather conditions and constant bombing. It was essential that track and engines were quickly repaired. The role of the railway was essential during WWII and Britain owes it's civilian and reserved occupation workers a debt of gratitude.

Photographs are of re-enactors at 1940s Events - Severn Valley Railway, Shropshire and Worcestershire, 28th June 2015. Peak Rail Derbyshire,1st August 2015.
Source - www.marple-uk.com
www.1900s.org.uk. www.railalbum.co.uk-railway-wagons www.culture24.org.uk
#WWIIRailways  #1940sre-enactors #homefront

THIS WEEKS WWII NEWS

Re-enactors wanted for The Ironbridge Gorge WWII Weekend 2016!

Unesco World Heritage site, The Ironbridge Gorge, a scenic Shropshire venue over the River Severn, is the location for a #WWII weekend in 2016.

Vintage vehicle owners, wartime #re-enactors, 1940s entertainers, and traders are requested to contact the event organiser at 07470 831484.
The event is to take place on May 28th and 29th, and the location is The #Ironbridge Gorge, Dale End Park, Ironbridge TF8 7EG.

#Landmine Discovered near the Isle of Wight
A 1,500lb landmine had been safely detonated by a bomb disposal team this week.  The WWII landmine was recovered by a dredger and taken to a site near Bembridge where it was disposed of by a controlled explosion.

College at University of Kent named after WWII #Codebreaker
A college at the University of Kent has been named after Alan Turing - famous  for his work as a Bletchley Park code-breaker.

#IronbridgeWWII  #IsleofWight #AlanTuring  #WWIIcodebreaker
Source- www.40s-events.co.uk/calendar, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire,
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews, www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/university-college-named-after-codebreaker, www.thepeopleshistory.com.

TODDINGTON STATION, COLOSSUS AND THE BLETCHLEY PARK ENGINEER#

During a journey, on a steam train from Winchcombe to Toddington Station, I met David who told me, "I was at Bletchley Park#." Working with Bill Tutt and Tommy Flowers, he helped build Colossus# which was used for intercepting messages to German High Command and Hitler's instructions to his generals! David said his work involved wiring and installing plates. "My job was to keep Colossus going," David said, "we worked on it while it was live - 350 volts - you could get a shock!" "We worked with one hand in our pockets, because if you worked on two different parts of the machine, the current could go straight through you." After WWII, David continued his top secret work with GCHQ.

Considered to be the first version of a program controlled computer, Colossus was developed at a Post Office Research Station (GPO) and was moved to Bletchley Park in December 1943.  By January/February 1944 it was operational and working around the clock to decode German transmissions, and provide Britain with crucial information. It also confirmed that false information about Britain's invasion plans and tactics, a deliberate decoy, had been believed by Germany. Eventually there were ten machines at Bletchley Park!

The interception of the German Lorenze# SZ-40 cipher machine transmissions (tunny) led to the success of the D Day invasion, and the shortening of the war saving countless lives. This is a remarkable story and the work of David and the Bletchley Park Engineers has never fully received the acknowledgement it deserves.


Source
The Secret Life of Bletchley Park   Sinclair McKay
Station X   Michael Smith
The Colossus its Purpose.. Tony Sale  www.codesandcyphers.org.uk.lorenz/colossus
The Colossus Gallery  www.tnmoc.org/explore/colossus-gallery
Colossus   http://cryptomuseum.com/crypto/colossus/index.htm

Toddington Steam Railway - Wartime in the Cotswolds April 2015

The sound of steam trains and air raid sirens filled the air at #Toddington Steam Railway station and the re-enactors turned up and turned back time to re-create the sights of the 1940's.

 There was also an ARP Post and 1940's beauty salon and Colwell Art Jazz Ensemble put us "In The Mood" with Glen Miller's big band sound.  A marquee provided a popular shopping opportunity, with many stalls dedicated to 1940s fashion and memorabilia.

At Winchcombe Station the activities continued with an Air Raid Shelter display and the Worcestershire Home Guard keeping an eye on the proceedings, checking and stamping WWII ID cards!

With rides on the steam trains, exhibitions, events and re-enactments at the four stations that make up the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, and also a  fly past from a Spitfire on Sunday, Toddington was a great start to the re-enactment season!

What made it even more special was my chance encounter with a Bletchley Park Veteran!  During a journey from Winchcombe to Toddington, I met David who was at Bletchley Park during WWII. Together with engineer Tommy Flowers, David worked on  Colossus, used to decrypt the Lorenze messages used by German High Command. Many consider this to be the start of the computer age. "It was my job to keep Colossus going", David told me. I shall be returning to this story, later in more depth- such an interesting piece of history, and an amazing coincidence!

THE RADIO SPIES AND THE WAR OF THE WIRELESS - WWII

Hidden away in lowly lit rooms, wearing headphones and with heads bowed, the radio spies silently worked. At the same time, the people of the Home Front unaware of this clandestine activity were also tuning in to their wireless sets. Motivated by inspiring and patriotic speeches from their wartime leaders they were busy with war work and defending the Home Front.

The radio interceptors were chosen for their agile minds, ability to work at speed, and also for the stamina required to work exhaustingly long shifts. At home and abroad the radio spies listened to the German transmissions, writing down morse code.

These coded transmissions, sent by the Germans, encrypted by Enigma machines, and received by the listening stations were sent to Bletchley Park. Once decoded they gave valuable information about bombing targets and invasion plans. Some Y stations, or Wireless Intercept stations, using direction finding, identified the position of German U boats. Voluntary Interceptors were also used. Radio hams, often with their own receivers, were secretly working from their own homes, and no one knew, not even their families! The work of the Y stations and Voluntary Interceptors was kept top secret.

In France, British planes dropped secret agents and spy suitcase radios to assist the work of the French Resistance.  Messages or instructions were relayed to the Resistance via news broadcasts.

In 1980, the truth about the work of Bletchley Park was revealed, although the contribution made by the radio interceptors is still to be fully acknowledged. Churchill's network or web of radio spies helped to shorten the war and save thousands of lives.

Source
Manpower - Ministry of Information -  published 1944 Alabaster Passmore and Sons, Ltd.
The Secret Life of Bletchley Park Sinclair McKay
The Secret Listeners Sinclair McKay

STEPPING BACK IN TIME TO WWII AND RAF DESBOROUGH, RAF HARRINGTON AND THE USAAF.

A disused airfield in Desborough, Kettering, Northamptonshire, now silent and empty was once during WWII, the scene of immense activity. We can imagine the roar of the engines, young RAF pilots running to their planes and suddenly the sky filled with the sight of Wellington bombers off on a mission.

Based at RAF Desborough, No 84 Operational Training Unit at RAF Desborough, consisted of night bomber crews flying Vickers Wellington Bombers.  This airfield was also a training base for Miles Martinets and Dc3 Dakotas.

Nearby, Just  5 miles west of Kettering and  planned as a satellite at RAF Desborough was RAF Harrington, an operational training unit for the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force. Known as the Carpetbaggers and using B-24 Liberators, the 801st Bomb Group flew agents and supplies to the resistance groups in Southern France.

Weather reports from Bletchley Park and Photographic Aerial  Intelligence enabled these covert operations to capitalize upon and strengthen the French Resistance. Also, the SOE, Special Operations Executive, helped to co-ordinate the activities of the French Resistance.

Today, Desborough remembers and commemorates WWII with its 1940s events! Desborough village "steps back to the 1940s" as it is transformed with bunting, stalls and costumed re-enactors. The shops sell vintage goodies, there is a wartime café with"rations" and lively demonstrations of 40s dancing - anyone can join in! A wartime vehicle parade winds it's way through the village and there's lots more for visitors to see. Their 2014 event was a sunny, happy and friendly occasion and a lovely tribute to their wartime history and heroes.
      Www.1940spicturepost.blogspot..com
Source
Britains Secret War 1939-1945 Michael Smith
wikipedia.org/wiki/list-of-operational-training-units
Wikipedia.org/wiki/RafHarrington

WWII WORKERS WELFARE AND BLETCHLEY PARK

You would think that in war torn Britain, workers welfare was the last thing on Churchill's mind.  Not so! The mobilisation of the British people for war included the creation of a fit and healthy work force. To build the tanks, airplanes and weapons needed to withstand a formidable enemy required careful planning, The welfare of the workforce was crucial.

Firstly the provision of nutritious food.  Canteens were introduced into the factories and many smaller work places had to make provision for the workers. Voluntary group assisted also providing hot drinks and snacks in the air raid shelters. Secondly medical officers and doctors were made available to care for the workers. Factories also had personnel to deal with any problems or issues that their staff may have. Many workers had been moved away from home and family and sometimes out of successful careers to assist the war effort. Often, people of different classes worked together.  The welfare of workers extended outside of the factories to deal with problems such as re-housing or lodgings. Every aspect of their lives was important to the war effort.

At Bletchley Park the same issues applied.  Admiral Hugh Sinclair, in charge of GCandCS, brought in a well known chef to provide staff with high quality food and lift morale. Entertainment was provided, or arranged by the code breakers themselves. During a visit Churchill noticing the lack of  recreational activities immediately arranged for the provision of sports facilities.
The engineers, dock workers and the Merchant Navy were also given recreational and dining facilities.
Finally, working hours were monitored and it was found that reasonable hours produced steady productivity avoiding illness and absenteeism. The health and safety and welfare of workers was crucial in ensuring that people could meet the demands needed of them for the war effort and to keep morale high.
The governments compulsory powers were mainly accepted and eloquent speeches from Winston Churchill rallied the people.The eyes of the world turned to Britain wondering if a democratic island nation could adapt and rise to this challenge. With help from our Allies, we could and we did!

Source
Station X The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park By Michael Smith
Britain At War  Maureen Hill
Man Power Britain's Mobilisation For War The Ministry of Information (1944)

Churchill, Bletchley Park, the Radio Spies and "The Imitation Game"

Churchill's experiences during World War One had prepared him for the national web of secrecy and espionage needed to help defeat Hitler in World War Two.  This included Bletchley Park and it's famous code breakers. Also, the radio interceptors or radio spies who were based at listening stations throughout Britain, listening and writing down enemy morse code transmissions which were sent to Bletchley Park for decoding. Further support came from the Voluntary Interceptors, who were recruited early in the war, radio hams with the expertise and often their own radio equipment needed to listen in to enemy transmissions.  They also worked in secret, often from their own homes, the other occupants of the house unaware of their activities.

"The Imitation Game," a new film starring Benedict Cumberbatch is a bio-pic of the work of the mathematician Alan Turing at Bletchley Park, decoding the information from the radio interceptors and working with colleagues to develop the "Bombe" an early computer to assist with and speed up the process of code-breaking. The success of Bletchley Park saved over three million lives and helped to shorten the war. The  work and accuracy of the Y Service or listening station was also vital. For example, a listening station at the Old Rectory, Whitchurch, Shropshire intercepted foreign diplomatic transmissions from the Japanese Embassy in Berlin to Japan, giving detailed information about German defences in northern France in 1943. helping with the success of D-Day. The importance of safeguarding "Ultra" the intelligence received from Bletchley Park and of keeping Germany unaware of our ability to break the Enigma code is well known, but Churchill's vast network of secrecy also extended to the homefront with the British people's contribution, well aware that "careless talk costs lives."