Bletchley Park: Index, Hollerith Machines, Lorenz & Colossus, Enigma & Bombe

I am creating a detailed flow chart of manpower, machines, duties, and workflow at Bletchley Park. I own dozens of books, including rare books, about BP's activities. I own a replica Enigma also. Presently I am researching the largest and still not talked about part of BP, which was its "enlarged human memory" (Peter Calvocaressi, Hut 6). It involved the use of highly modified Hollerith machines, punch cards, many removable program boards, many master punch cards, but most importantly, here was the ability to conduct a search on the MILLIONS of puch cards created from Enigma and Lorenz deciphed messages. It was the first search engine of any significance in history. I am interested in talking to anyone with knowledge about any of the following: 1) Hut 6 at BP, 2) What modifications were made to the Hollerith machines? 3) What standardized abbreviation guide was used? 4) How were searches carried out? 5) Were the Hollerith machines modified to print out information "hits" as the card decks were run? 6) How did all of this interact with Colossus? Did Hollerith machines perform the first sorting, encoding these data on Colossi tape, followed by the running of intelligence prediction algorithems on Collosi? ... I would like to hear from anyone with insight on these. Cordially, Eric L. Nelson, Ph.D.

 

Still in the news.

Unseen images of code breaking computer that helped win WW2

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Hi, am very interested in what you have found out. Bletchley Park has finally begun to exhibit this side of code breaking - I am from the US and visit BP yearly. Am very interested in what you have found.

 

Are you writing anything about this.....???

 

There may be something of interest for you within the thread here:

Bletchley and Nuremberg

For example, forum member Davidbfpo's post at #8 in said thread.

Also, from outside the forum, possibly items of interest for you within these IWM Collections interviews:

Find an object | Imperial War Museums

Beyond that, and the technical side of your questions in your post at #1, an enquiry with a staff researcher at Bletchley, or initially any of the trustees with a research interest About The Trust (if you haven't been down that route already) may help answer your specific questions.

Good luck with your interest and research going forward.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Charles,

The opening post author has not been logged on since that post in 2018.

He did publish an article in September 2018, which is available free on: https://www.researchgate.net/public...at_Bletchley_Park_during_the_Second_World_War

He was then at University California, Davis (UCD) and now elsewhere it appears see: Dr. Eric Nelson, MS, MA, PhD - California - Expert Witness Profile Checked UCD listing and he is not shown.

 

Thanks David. I found the article by searching for ELNelson. - It is very interesting. Part of BP which is just being developed... exhibit this year (summer) was more enlarged from last year and shows more, but still no discussion of the INDEXES and their use and the man y machines and storage used to track information. I live in San Francisco, and can go by Davis. I would like to meet nelson and will try to do so when I get home from UK. Or contact him if he is elsewhere. (probably still in California)

 

If you have anything to do with BP, please tell them to pursue this area of the code breaking experience of WW2. It is fascinating.

 

Your project sounds fascinating! The Hollerith machines at Bletchley were modified for more complex tasks and custom operations. For searches, they sorted and analyzed punch cards, with manual oversight. Hollerith did the preliminary sorting, while Colossus handled more advanced processing.
For deeper insights, try reaching out to Bletchley Park historians or archivists—they might have the detailed info you're after.

 

Try this thread which concerns the topics: Questions regarding Signal traffic handling in large HQs using the "finished check" method/procedure

In Post 3 I suggested the author ask David Abrutat (ex-GCHQ Historian) and professor Chris Grey who has written a book on how BP was organised.

David Abrutat appears in many threads here.

It might be worth checking all the threads in Top Secret, which appears to hold many threads about BP.

 

David, couple of things
1. you mention Top Secret above - is this a book?
2. I am curious about your opinion on why everything from BP was destroyed right after the war? What was the reason this was done?
3. I am curious about your opinion on why you think Mr. Nelson completely dropped this subject and apparently his pursuit of information on BP after 2018? Don't you feel this is very strange.
4. I am curious about any references you can give me on Russian code breaking at BP. There seems to be a paucity of information on this aspect of what was done.
5. I just visited BP and the TNMC last week. Am glad to see in hut 6 or 8 that they are beginning to present material on the "data" they captured - what in general is called "traffic analysis". but in reality is much more - 2 million Hollerith cards a week is a lot of data capture
Just started "Code Breakers - the inside story of Bletchley Park" - First Published in 1993 - There seems to be a good deal of information about the processes in Hut 6....what Nelson said he was trying to find and flow chart.? Comments?
I think that there is something missing at BP about the whole process of "code breaking"..... at the back end - understanding what the transmissions meant....... do you have an opinion on this

Thanks for your response to me.

 

Hello Charles,

Before David comes on stream, the answer to you question 1 is the "Top Secret" category of threads on WW2 Talk here:

Top Secret

You may possibly find something of interest within there.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Thanks Jim

 

Charles you asked several questions, as shown below and after each my attempt at an answer. So Q&A:

Q1. you mention Top Secret above - is this a book?
A1. Jim has answered

Q2. I am curious about your opinion on why everything from BP was destroyed right after the war? What was the reason this was done?
A2. Not everything was destroyed. Hinsley's Official History of British Intelligence, published 1979-1990, was based on the records retained (I have x5 volumes and will look at them later). See: Harry Hinsley - Wikipedia I expect the sheer volume of paperwork made 100% retention unlikely. Add in the secrecy of what BP had done, even if some of this was known to the USSR and nations that had been allies. Some of the earlier books relied on records - from memory - notably Winterbotham's book that "broke the silence" in 1974. For a starting point see: F. W. Winterbotham - Wikipedia

Q3. I am curious about your opinion on why you think Mr. Nelson completely dropped this subject and apparently his pursuit of information on BP after 2018? Don't you feel this is very strange.
A3. No idea why Mr Nelson stopped, only he can answer that. From memory his PhD was not on such matters and not his specialism. Maybe work demands crowded it out?

Q4. I am curious about any references you can give me on Russian code breaking at BP. There seems to be a paucity of information on this aspect of what was done.
A4. Not surprised. My recollection is that BP provided warnings of the Axis build-up on the USSR's western borders, which was sanitised for Stalin, bur was rejected. I cite that as the lack of trust was a strong factor - shown throughout WW2 - and I have a recollection that towards the war's end BP was tasked to develop intelligence on the USSR. There could be information out there.

Q5a. I just visited BP and the TNMC last week. Am glad to see in hut 6 or 8 that they are beginning to present material on the "data" they captured - what in general is called "traffic analysis". but in reality is much more - 2 million Hollerith cards a week is a lot of data capture
A5a. BP is a great place to visit, I have been twice. Yes, there are gaps and sometimes they are filled. As indicated on their website: Bletchley Park | Home BP is not supposed to be for specialists, it is for the general public and for them to admire what happened. It made me small each time visiting and thinking afterwards what they did.

Q5b. Just started "Code Breakers - the inside story of Bletchley Park" - First Published in 1993 - There seems to be a good deal of information about the processes in Hut 6....what Nelson said he was trying to find and flow chart.? Comments?
A5b. It is on my bookshelf (paperback), so read long ago.That is why I commend Chris Grey's work on organization at BP. There are others who have written on BP. Hugh Skillen published several books on how Army SIGINT worked, minus as I recall any references to BP. Caveat I have five of his books and they were read a very long time ago. See for his obituary: The Y service 1939-45

Q5c. I think that there is something missing at BP about the whole process of "code breaking"..... at the back end - understanding what the transmissions meant....... do you have an opinion on this
A5c. Yes, there is "something missing" and slowly more is known. It is very specialist area. Have you combed through back issues of the academic journal 'Intelligence and National Security' (INS). It was the premier such journal and the index I am sure is online.

 

Wow, Thanks David. I am reading and thinking.... possibly have more questions in a few days. Thank you again. BTW, I am an 80 year old retired financial person.

I can remember my dad - who was in Naval Intelligence - but in the Pacific telling me that at the end of the war, he was instructed to take the Purple machine he had on the Hancock CVA19 out and burn and then destroy it. That is all he ever told me about his war experiences. My uncle was a Lt. Commander and ended up running the South of France - there is some museum in So France about him.
My Dad spoke and wrote French, German, Spanish and English perfectly and had been educated in Europe (Switzerland and France) ..... my son says he was sent to the Pacific Theater because my mother was born in Czech.