How Mair Thomas found herself at Bletchley Park trying to break the German Enigma Code.

The story of the World War 2 de-coders of Bletchley Park continues to fascinate. How did Mair Thomas, a musician brought up in the Welsh valleys, find herself in the rarefied atmosphere of Hut Six, surrounded by hundreds of others, all desperately trying to break the German Enigma Code? Sworn to secrecy and working in cramped and uncomfortable conditions, Mair discovered her degree in German and Music was just what was needed. Drawn from the public schools and Oxbridge her background was very different to that of most of her colleagues and she didn't immediately fit in. This captivating memoir unpacks her daily life and explores the relationships she built. My Secret Life in Hut Six provides a fascinating insight into one woman's battle against Nazi Germany vividly capturing an era of danger, strain and day to day difficulties that were brightened occasionally by visits from the top brass, such as Winston Churchill.

"I am fascinated by the way Bletchley Park's commitment to absolute secrecy exercised such a powerful and enduring hold over those who worked there - what a good thing that Mair Russell-Jones was persuaded to relax it a little, giving us this engaging account of life at the heart of one of Britain's most important World War Two operations. I greatly enjoyed this book."

Gethin Russell-Jones combines a prolific writing career with being a Baptist Pastor.

Mair Russell Jones worked at Bletchley Park for several years during World War 2.

__Contents__  
Preface 9  
Chapter 1: January 1941 A Personal World War 19  
Chapter 2: 1917–36 Rough Valley 25  
Chapter 3: 1936–38 London on the Eve of War 41  
Chapter 4: 1938–39 Cardiff University 51  
Chapter 5: 1940 Too Close to Home 63  
Chapter 6: February 1941 Strange Messengers 77  
Chapter 7: April 1941 Appointment in Whitehall 83  
Chapter 8: August 1941 My Longest Day 95  
Chapter 9: August 1941 Landlords from Hell 103  
Chapter 10: August 1941 First Day at Bletchley Park 111  
Chapter 11: August 1941 Unravelling the Enigma 123  
Chapter 12: August–October 1941 Is it Over Before it Has Begun? 137  
Chapter 13: November 1941 St Joan 145  
Chapter 14: 1941–42 Loved and Chosen 155  
Chapter 15: 1942–43 Girls Talk 173  
Chapter 16: 1941–44 Rank and File 189  
Chapter 17: 1944 D-Day 199  
Chapter 18: 1945 It Nearly Killed Churchill Too 213  
Chapter 19: 1945–99 Keeping Mum and Coming Out 227  
Chapter 20: 1999 Return of the Native 239  
Chapter 21: 2008 Read All About It 247  
Christmas 2013: Postscript 253  
Bibliography 256

\["For history lovers and fans of World War II stories", "Uncovers the struggles of wartime decoding at Hut Six", "You will gain insight into a unique wartime experience"\]

Discover the remarkable story of Mair Thomas at Bletchley Park.

Gethin Russell-Jones

Mair Russell-Jones

Cover

Praise

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Author's Note

Preface

Chapter 1: January 1941 A Personal World War

Chapter 2: 1917–36 Rough Valley

Chapter 3: 1936–38 London on the Eve of War

Chapter 4: 1938–39 Cardiff University

Chapter 5: 1940 Too Close to Home

Chapter 6: February 1941 Strange Messengers

Chapter 7: April 1941 Appointment in Whitehall

Chapter 8: August 1941 My Longest Day

Chapter 9: August 1941 Landlords from Hell

Chapter 10: August 1941 First Day at Bletchley Park

Chapter 11: August 1941 Unravelling the Enigma

Chapter 12: August–October 1941 Is it Over Before it Has Begun?

Chapter 13: November 1941 St Joan

Chapter 14: 1941–42 Loved and Chosen

Chapter 15: 1942–43 Girls Talk

Chapter 16: 1941–44 Rank and File

Chapter 17: 1944 D-Day

Chapter 18: 1945 It Nearly Killed Churchill Too

Chapter 19: 1945–99 Keeping Mum and Coming Out

Chapter 20: 1999 Return of the Native

Chapter 21: 2008 Read All About It

Christmas 2013 Postscript

Bibliography

Photographic Insert

Russell-Jones, Mair

The story of the World War 2 de-coders of Bletchley Park continues to fascinate many. How did Mair Thomas, brought up in the Welsh valleys and a musician, find herself in the rarefied atmosphere of Hut Six, surrounded by hundreds of others, all desperately trying to break the German Enigma Code? How did she cope? What was it like? Sworn to secrecy and working in cramped and uncomfortable conditions, Mair discovered her degree in German and Music was just what was needed. But her background was very different to that of most of her colleagues, drawn from the public schools and Oxbridge. How did she manage, and what relationships did she build? This book gives a fascinating insight into one woman's battle and vividly captures an era of danger, strain - and day to day difficulties, brightened occasionally by visits from the top brass, including Churchill.

"This is a wonderful book, telling the story of a woman working at Bletchley Park. It has unique anecdotes that more truly describe the life at Bletchley Park than someone would be prepared to do if they were talking publicly. It is charming and brutally honest." -- Michael Smith, author of Station X I am fascinated by the way Bletchley Park's commitment to absolute secrecy exercised such a powerful and enduring hold over those who worked there - what a good thing that Mair Russell-Jones was persuaded to relax it a little, giving us this engaging account of life at the heart of one of Britain's most important World War Two operations. I greatly enjoyed this book. -- Edward Stourton, broadcaster and author Plucked from her home in the Welsh valleys, Mair Russell-Jones' quiet and heroic devotion to duty in World War 2 almost cost her her life and reputation among unsympathetic family and friends. It can't be easy telling your own parents' remarkable story but Gethin succeeds without a trace of sentimentality. Humbling and inspiring -- Steve Goddard Co-editor Ship of Fools This is the story of an ordinary woman from the Welsh valleys made extraordinary by the exigencies of war. Mair Thomas would probably have been a Christian missionary had it not been for World War II. She was recruited for the intelligence team at Bletchley Park that cracked the Enigma code and made the Allied victory possible. Only after half a century did she tell the story of her secret life in Hut Six. Her story is told with the aid of her son, Gethin Russell Jones. Other books have given dramatic, sometimes romanticised, accounts of the intelligence war. My Secret Life is remarkable for its unvarnished account of life at 'BP' - monotonous, wearying, unglamorous - costly. Mair paid that cost till the end of her days. An absorbing read which gets closer to the humdrum reality of war. -- Derek Wilson, Author

My Secret Life in Hut Six recounts Mair Thomas's experiences as a decoder at Bletchley Park during WWII. It explores her challenges, relationships, and unique background.

\["For history enthusiasts and fans of wartime stories", "Unveils the secretive life of a WWII codebreaker", "You will gain insight into resilience and camaraderie"\]

This memoir reveals the incredible journey of Mair Thomas at Bletchley Park during WWII.

One Woman's Experiences at Bletchley Park

My Secret Life in Hut Six

Navigation Bar

Header Default

Download the Christian360 App to read eBooks and listen to Audiobooks bought at Christian360

My Secret Life in Hut Six

Description

Need support?

Customer reviews

Download the App

Download the App