Helene Aldwinckle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helene Aldwinckle
|
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Helene Lovie Taylor
26 October 1920 |
| Died | 24 April 2020 (aged 99) |
| Alma mater | University of Aberdeen |
| Known for | Codebreaking at Bletchley Park |
| Awards |  Legion of Honour – Knight (2019) |
Helene Aldwinckle (born Helene Lovie Taylor) was a very important person during the Second World War. She worked as a Bletchley Park codebreaker. This means she helped to crack secret messages that the enemy sent. Helene was born on October 26, 1920, and passed away on April 24, 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Helene Lovie Taylor was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1920. Her parents were Alexander and Helen Taylor. Her father worked as a salesman. Helene grew up in a place called Footdee.
She went to Ashley Road Primary School and then Aberdeen Academy. Helene was a very bright student. She won a special scholarship to study French and English at the University of Aberdeen.
In February 1945, Helene married John Aldwinckle. He was a flight lieutenant in the RAF. They had four children together: Richard, Linda, Pamela, and Lady Diana Browne. John Aldwinckle passed away in 2012.
Working as a Codebreaker
Helene Taylor joined Bletchley Park after finishing her three-year degree. Bletchley Park was a top-secret place in England. Here, smart people worked to break enemy codes during the war.
Helene's university principal, William Hamilton Fyfe, suggested her for the job. He told the Foreign Office that she had an amazing memory. She was also very good with languages. After two interviews, Helene was chosen to work there. She moved to Bletchley Park in the summer of 1942. At first, Helene didn't even know what the secret job was about!
Deciphering Secret Messages
Helene first worked in a place called Registration Room 1 (RR1). Her job was to handle secret encrypted signals. These were messages that had been turned into code.
In 1943, Helene became a leader. She helped train American service members. She taught them how to work with the secret messages.
After this training program, Helene moved to the Quiet Room (QR). This room was in Hut 6. Hut 6 was a very important part of Bletchley Park. Its main job was to break Enigma codes. The Enigma was a special machine used by the Germans to send secret messages. Helene used her skills to solve harder code problems. She helped find Enigma radio networks and signals.
When the Second World War ended, Helene stayed at Bletchley Park for a short time. She helped write down the history of the work done in Hut 6. However, she had to leave her job in 1945. This was because of a rule at the time. It said that women could not keep their jobs after they got married.
Life After Bletchley Park
After the war, Helene Aldwinckle lived in different places. She lived in Cologne and Berlin in Germany. She went with her husband, John, who worked for the British secret service (MI6).
Helene also worked as a reporter. She reported on cultural events for radio stations. These included the British Forces Network and Westdeutscher Rundfunk. She loved acting and joined the Berlin Amateur Dramatic Society.
Helene and John lived in many other countries too. They lived in France, Italy (Rome), Belgium (Brussels and Mons), and other parts of Britain.
Helene had many different jobs later in life. In 1967, she became a translator for a company called Thames and Hudson. When she was 54, she became a gallerist. This means she worked in an art gallery called the Medici Gallery. Later, she worked at the Oxford Gallery. In 1979, she became the manager of the Medici Gallery.
Special Awards
Helene Aldwinckle received a very special award from France. It was called a Knight in France's Legion of Honour. This award was given to her on July 19, 2019. The ceremony took place at the French embassy in London.
Even the Prime Minister at the time, Theresa May, thanked Helene. This happened during May's final Prime Minister's Questions.
On September 4, 2022, another honor was given to Helene. A special blue plaque was put up at 76 Farquhar Road, Dulwich. This plaque remembers her important work.
