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There is so much more to see at Bletchley Park, we decided just to take in a couple of the many permanent displays. A rather anaemic bust of Winston Churchill greeted us in this largest collection of Churchill memorabilia in the world. That'll be a Gatling machine gun. In a glass case; bet it's designer never envisaged that!

The meories came flooding back for me here; a '38' set. Used in pairs (between tank commanders, I think) I bought a pair from a government surplus store back in the '60's.

 They worked on dry batteries, of course, between 7.4 and 9 Mhz on a 10 foot (non telescopic) aerial. Me and my mate used to test their theoretical range high on the Lancashire moors.

It wasn't very good!
More nostalgia, an R1155 ex RAF communications receiver. I also bought one of these that had been converted to 240 volts and used it for years as a teenager.

Radio Luxembourg first heard by me on one of these!

 This is the interior of a rebuilt Bombe.

John Turing was, of course, one of the many brilliant brains that worked here during those dark days of the second world war.

and here he is, carved out of Welsh slate as a testament to his fine and dedicated work.
Here is shown the internal wiring of three of the Enigma rotors that was constantly changed by the German operators of the Enigma coding machines that made the decoding task so very challenging.

In the souvenir shop, you can buy an electronic kit of an Enigma machine should you wish to play at second world war games yourself.

At any one time, on one of three 8 hour shifts, large numbers of WRENS would be sitting here taking down the coded messages on these uncomfortable headphones.

I know, I used to have a pair.

 I don't remember too much of the guides info, but this is a Lorenz coding machine, designed to be even more complicated with its three extra rotors (over the Enigma)

My brain hurts!
An excellent visit, especially recommended for people who like to hear about some of the amazing facts of the war that is long gone but still in our recent history. If you in the area, just go!

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