Jean Briggs Watters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Briggs Watters
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|---|---|
| Born |
Jean Annette Watters
15 October 1925 Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
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| Died | 15 September 2018 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Cryptanlyst |
Jean Annette Watters (born Briggs; 15 October 1925 – 15 September 2018) was an English code-breaker and a member of the Women's Royal Naval Service. She was one of about 10,000 women who worked to figure out the secret messages from the Enigma machine during World War II at Bletchley Park. She kept her important work a secret for many years.
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Jean Watters' Early Life and Secret Work
Jean Briggs Watters was born in Bury St Edmunds, England, on 15 October 1925. She was the oldest of three sisters. Jean went to art school in Cambridge before joining the Women's Royal Naval Service.
Later, Jean was chosen for a top-secret project called the Ultra programme. This project aimed to break the secret codes of the German military's Enigma machine at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. To keep her real job a secret, a false story was made up that she was a London bus driver. Jean never told anyone about her important work.
She used a special machine called a "bombe". This machine helped to read the secret signals sent by the German Armed Forces. Her work was very important for the war effort.
Life After the War and Moving to America
Soon after Victory in Europe Day, Jean Watters married John Watters. He was an American pilot who flew B-17 planes. The British government allowed Jean to leave the Navy so they could start their life together. They had six children.
In 1969, Jean and John moved to the United States. Even though her husband asked her to, Jean chose to remain a British citizen. In America, she was a homemaker. She loved to create handmade birthday cards for her children and enjoyed painting. Her paintings were shown in exhibits, but she always refused to sell them.
Jean also volunteered her time. She worked as a librarian at a public school and helped students as a tutor. During holidays, she often welcomed children who needed help with their schoolwork into her home.
Hobbies, Recognition, and Legacy
Jean Watters was a talented cook, and her recipes were shared with people all over the world. She also loved gardening and was very good at playing contract bridge and mahjong, which are card and tile games.
In 2009, the secret about her work in the Ultra programme was finally revealed. Her important contribution was recognized by Gordon Brown, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time. She received a medal for her service.
Jean Watters passed away on 15 September 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. Her oldest son, Robin, made sure she was buried with full British military honors at the Omaha National Cemetery on 24 September. Today, Jean Watters is remembered in an interactive display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in the United States Air Force hangar.
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