Tribute to Charlotte Webb, Bletchley Park Codebreaker
Charlotte Webb, affectionately known as Betty, who played a pivotal role in the Allied victory during World War II by assisting codebreakers in deciphering enemy communications at the renowned Bletchley Park, passed away on Monday at the remarkable age of 101. Her death has been confirmed by both the Women’s Royal Army Corps Association and the Bletchley Park Trust, marking the loss of a significant figure in the history of cryptography.
At the tender age of 18, Ms. Webb joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the British Army, and was soon assigned to the top-secret base in Buckinghamshire where Bletchley Park operated. From 1941 to 1945, she contributed her skills to the decryption of crucial German messages and also worked on deciphering Japanese signals, showcasing her versatility and commitment.
In recognition of her invaluable contributions, Ms. Webb was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2015, and in 2021, she received the esteemed Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest distinction. She was among the last surviving members of the legendary Bletchley Park codebreaking team, whose efforts were instrumental in shaping the outcome of the war.
As one of the few young women at Bletchley Park, Ms. Webb was surrounded by a dedicated team of mathematicians, cryptographers, and codebreakers who tirelessly worked to unravel encrypted communications, gathering vital intelligence about the Axis powers. Having initially been enrolled in a domestic sciences program at a local college, she made the bold decision to leave her studies behind, driven by a strong sense of duty. “Several of us decided that we ought to be serving our country rather than just making sausage rolls,” she reflected in an oral history interview in 2012, illustrating her deep commitment to the war effort.
The work conducted by the cryptologists at Bletchley Park proved to be critical to the Allied forces, especially with German submarines actively targeting Allied vessels in the treacherous waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to the decoding of enemy communications, Allied ships could navigate more safely, altering their courses to evade danger and ultimately contributing to the success of the Allied campaigns.
