Code Breakers: The Story of Enigma comes to Lancaster Grand

This show by Dr Mark Baldwin is one of World War Two’s most fascinating stories telling of the Allied Codebreakers, who deciphered a vast number of German secret messages and used the intelligence so gained to hasten Allied victory.

The Germans had entrusted their secret communications to an ingenious ciphering machine the Enigma, which was portable, easily operated, and could be set up in millions of ways.

The codes were used and every one was changed every 24 hours.

This fascinating talk includes the life and work of the great mathematician, computer scientist, philosopher and theoretical biologist Alan Turing OBE FRS.

The Allies gained invaluable information about troop and aircraft dispositions, orders of battle, U-boat movements, technical development, military intentions and tank and artillery strengths.

It is generally reckoned that the intelligence from Enigma shortened the war by about two years.

Dr Mark Baldwin has made a detailed study of the Enigma machine, the code-breaking work at Bletchley Park, and U-boats and has built up a unique collection of slides which illustrate the main features of those important facts of World War Two.

He has prepared an entertaining instructive show on this subject.

The show is divided into two parts.

It is followed by an opportunity for questions, then a hands-on demonstration of one of the very few surviving Enigma machines.

The show comes to Lancaster Grand on Friday, March 27 at 7.30pm.

Standard tickets are £20 from www.lancastergrand.co.uk.