BLETCHLEY PARK AND D-DAY

BLETCHLEY PARK AND D-DAY 
by David Kenyon. 
David Kenyon, who is Bletchley's research historian, wrote this book just a few years ago. 
With 2024 being the 80th Anniversary year of D-Day I thought it would be a great time to learn more about the intelligence gathering surrounding this now infamous invasion.

Having struggled in previous years with some books on Bletchley and especially Enigma,  I'm delighted to share how much I enjoyed David's style of writing. 
He explains how Bletchley Park began and became such a massive factory of intelligence with thousands of people working there. 
We are then introduced to some of these people, along with the work they did and how they set about breaking and understanding the enemies codes and signals.

Of course, it is easy to immediately think of the German Enigma as being the only source of intelligence that Bletchley deciphered and shared, but it was the centre for lots of incoming intelligence from other sources, including intelligence gathered from other Allied countries. 

As early as 1940 the US had been able to read Japanese diplomatic codes. Mr Ōshima, the Japanese Ambassador in Berlin, proved a very useful source for information throughout a large part of the war. Not only did he report back to Tokyo on his conversations with leading figures of the Third Reich, but in November 1943 he visited Normandy and toured the Atlantic Wall. His busy schedule then found him meeting high ranking German generals in Paris. He then kindly reported back to Tokyo what he had learnt which US intelligence intercepted and then shared with Britain and Bletchley.
Along with other intelligence including French Resistance reports and RAF photo reconnaissance, the Allies had built up a great deal of information on German strengths in France and the thoughts of the German leaders towards a possible Allied invasion.
As we know the organisation and planning to get to June 1944 was an incredible operation in itself.

This book has shone a lot of new light on Bletchley's role in both the war and especially for D-Day. In what can be a difficult subject to grasp, here it is helped by David's enjoyable and flowing narrative. A book that I have had my eye on for awhile and now I'm delighted to have had the chance to read it. A fantastic read.

The paperback edition is published by Yale University Press and is available now. 
I thank Yale U.P London for this review copy. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MITCHELL

Image
MITCHELL: Father of the Spitfire  By Paul Beaver. The majority of readers will have heard the name R.J. Mitchell and certainly his most famous aircraft design, the beloved Spitfire. Yet many, myself included, might not have known that his career began in railway engineering. This and so much more is revealed by author , Paul Beaver, who shares the full story of this remarkable man who became Supermarine's chief designer at the age of just 24. Alongside Reginald's career, we also learn how the Supermarine company was founded and then grew during the decades between the two world wars.  Mitchell's answering of Supermarine's job advertisement  would prove to be the beginning of a remarkable legacy. Importantly, o ne the author also states came about with the brains and skills of a talented group of people who have been too often overlooked. This legacy is of course far more than just the Spitfire. Many other types of aircraft especially flying boats were also d...
Read more

ROYAL NAVY FORCE H: 1940-42

Image
ROYAL NAVY FORCE H 1940-42 This is book 14 in Osprey's 'Fleet' series and is written by naval historian, Angus Konstam. If you have read any second world war books on the Mediterranean war and/or Malta, then it is highly likely that Force H and its well respected commander, V.Adm. Sir James Somerville, is mentioned. Based at Gibraltar, Force H patrolled both the Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean often escorting vital convoys to Malta. It was Somerville who led the fleet in the attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir and they would also be later involved in the hunt for the Bismarck.  As well as describing the fleet's ships, its commander and their wartime endeavors, the role and defences of Gibraltar is also covered. This is an added bonus as most books generally only give Gibraltar a passing mention. With a fascinating narrative, aided with many useful maps, charts and original artwork, it is a book I have certainly enjoyed and would definitely rec...
Read more

THE DUMMY DRONE

Image
THE DUMMY DRONE BY Rob More. Away from the Battle of Britain in the skies over the English Channel and Southern counties, or the devastating blitz bombing of London and other major cities, surely  the far North of Scotland would hardly be effected by the second world war?  Well the opposite was true. In this fabulous new book, local author and resident, Rob More reveals how the county of Caithness was a scene of great change from the coastline and beaches to the farmland, hills and villages. Not forgetting all those who lived and worked there.  With the area hosting a range of wartime installations and airfields it received many visits from the Luftwaffe. As we learn in the book, civilians and their properties would also be caught up in these raids. From the radar stations searching for enemy aircraft, to those recruited for the local Home Guard and the lesser known Auxiliary Units. Communities the length of Britain prepared for an expected German invasion. Ro...
Read more