Alison Fairlie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alison Anna Bowie Fairlie
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| Born | 23 May 1917 |
| Died | 21 February 1993 |
| Nationality | British |
Professor Alison Fairlie (23 May 1917 – 21 February 1993) was a British expert in French literature. She was a long-time member of Girton College at Cambridge University.
Contents
Life Story of Alison Fairlie
Alison Anna Bowie Fairlie was born in Lerwick, a town on the Shetland islands. Her father, a minister, passed away when she was young.
Early Education and University
In 1935, Fairlie began her studies at St Hugh's College in Oxford. She earned a top degree in Modern and Medieval Languages. This showed her great skill in understanding different languages and old texts.
Working During World War II
World War II began, and France was taken over by German armies. This changed Fairlie's plans for her advanced studies. She had been working in Paris, France, but had to leave when the city fell in 1940.
Fairlie traveled to Bordeaux, a city in southwestern France. There, she saw many diplomats leaving their fancy cars behind. Even without special papers, she and others managed to convince a Dutch grain ship to take them to England.
Secret Work at Bletchley Park
By 1943, Alison Fairlie had earned her PhD. Around this time, she was asked to join a secret team at Bletchley Park. This was Britain's top-secret center for breaking codes during the war.
She worked for the Foreign Office, helping in a special section. Her job was to understand strange phrases found in intercepted German messages. These phrases were often technical descriptions. Fairlie had to quickly learn about many new subjects, far beyond literature and history.
One of her colleagues, Leonard Wilson Forster, noted how useful Fairlie's research skills were. She used the same methods from her PhD studies to understand German, Italian, and Japanese technical words. The team was inspired by Geoffrey Tandy, a very knowledgeable person.
Later Life and Books
After the war, Fairlie continued her academic work. Her first book, Leconte de Lisle's Poems on the Barbarian Races, was published in 1947. This book was based on her PhD research. Alison Fairlie passed away in Cambridge in 1993.
