First time back to Bletchley Park for Chelsea Pensioner
5th February 2018
A group of Chelsea Pensioners including a former Typex Operator have visited Bletchley Park, the site of the famous Enigma code-breakers of the Second World War.
The trip included a tour of the site, which has since been converted to a museum, and was especially special for Chelsea Pensioner and former "code-breaker" Helen Andrews. She said of the visit: “The visit brought back many memories for me especially going into Hut 6 where I worked all those years ago. I was amazed and so pleased to see how well everything at Bletchley was preserved and restored. It was so lovely to be able to see it again and our visit was a very happy day for me.”
Helen worked at Bletchley Park between 1943 and 1945, a crucial time in the facility's code-breaking efforts. Historians have estimated that the Second World War was cut short by two to four years due to the efforts of those working at the site.
Colonel Rupert Lucas, Helen's Company Captain at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, said: “We had a wonderful day and a most interesting visit. Everyone we met at Bletchley made us feel so welcome. For Helen Andrews it was a poignant and emotional return. We thank the team at Bletchley Park for this valuable experience.”
