Deciphering the German system is believed to have shortened World War Two by two years and saved countless lives.
But few people realise that early Enigma codes had already been broken by the Poles who then passed on the knowledge to Britain shortly before the outbreak of war.
They even taught Turing how to build electro-mechanical devices which simulated the workings of the Enigma machine and enabled operators to cycle through one possible setting after another.
By the time war broke out the Germans had increased the sophistication of the machine and the Poles were struggling to make more headway. But based on the Polish knowledge, Turing managed to build a huge computer that would finally crack the cipher.
However, despite their help, history and Hollywood has largely ignored their role. The most recent film The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, barely mentioned the Poles.
Now the Polish government has launched a touring exhibition entitled "Enigma – Decipher Victory” to remind the world of their crucial contribution. They have already taken the exhibition to Canada and Brussels...
Poland’s main codebreakers were Jerzy Rozycki, Henryk Zygalski and Marian Rejewski who joined the Polish General Staff's Cipher Bureau in Warsaw...
Telegraph.
Seems to be the gay media who are keenest on the lie that 'Alan Turing cracked the Enigma code', partly as so many of them seem to revel in ignorance, and partly to push the myth of Turing as The Great Gay Martyr - even though it's far from certain he committed suicide.
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