Irene Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Irene Jessie Brown
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| Born |
Irene Jessie Young
16 February 1919 |
| Died | 7 June 2017 (aged 98) Edinburgh, Scotland
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| Known for | Bletchley Park codebreaker |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | Iain Gordon Brown |
Irene Jessie "Mouse" Brown (born Young) was a clever author and codebreaker. She was born on February 16, 1919, and passed away on June 7, 2017. During World War II, she worked at a secret place called Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. Her job was to break secret codes, which helped the Allies win the war. She also worked as a linguist and translator.
Early Life and Education
Irene Young grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland. She went to school there, where she loved learning about French, English literature, and Latin. Later, she studied English Language and Literature at the University of Edinburgh.
Working at Bletchley Park
In 1942, Irene started working at Bletchley Park. This was a top-secret location where brilliant minds worked to crack enemy codes during World War II. Irene worked in a special building called Hut 6.
She later wrote a book about her experiences called Enigma Variations: a Memoir of Love and War. It was published in 1990 and was one of the first books to share what life was like at Bletchley Park. Did you know that about 75% of the people working at Bletchley Park were women?
Her book tells about her time in Hut 6 and what daily life was like at "Station X," which was the secret nickname for Bletchley Park. It also shares some of her personal wartime experiences. Irene's first husband, Leslie Cairn, also worked in a secret role with the Special Air Service (SAS). Because their jobs were so secret, they couldn't tell each other much about what they were doing. Sadly, Leslie went missing in action in France in 1944.
Later Life
After the war, Irene married Reginald Sydney Brown in 1948. They moved back to Edinburgh, where she worked in a library at Edinburgh University. She lived most of her life in Edinburgh and passed away in 2017 when she was 98 years old. Her writings and letters are kept at the university.
