Ellen Elizabeth Reed facts for kids

Ellen Elizabeth Reed (born in 1916, died on August 30, 2020) was a very important person during the Second World War. She worked as a code-breaker at a secret place called Bletchley Park. Her job was to figure out secret messages.

Her Life and Work

Ellen Elizabeth Langstaff was born in Canada. But she grew up in the United Kingdom. She studied French and German at Cambridge University.

Working at Bletchley Park

In 1939, when Ellen was 23, she started working at Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes. At that time, only about 400 people worked there. Her main job was to translate secret German messages into English. These messages had been "decrypted," meaning their secret code was broken.

Ellen also took on jobs that were usually done only by men. Because of her excellent work, she was promoted. She became the personal assistant to Group Captain Eric Jones. Later, she became a personnel officer. In this role, she helped manage about 600 workers.

Life Outside of Work

Even with her important work, Ellen found time for other activities. She was the secretary for the Bletchley Park Recreational Club Drama Group. She also acted in several plays.

For many years, the work at Bletchley Park was kept secret. Ellen did not know about Alan Turing, another famous code-breaker, until a book about Bletchley Park came out in 1975.

Family Life

In 1945, Ellen married Nigel Reed from New Zealand. They lived in Nigeria for a while. From 1975 to 1995, they split their time between the UK and New Zealand. After 1995, they lived full-time in Northland, New Zealand. Mr. Reed passed away in 1997.

Ellen and Nigel had three children. Ellen Elizabeth Reed lived a long life. She died in Paihia, New Zealand, on August 30, 2020. She was 104 years old.