Marion Paton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marion Paton
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Marion Paton in the early 1950s with husband and child
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| Born |
Mary Hendry
1923 Aldborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England
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| Died | December 2016 (aged 93) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | codebreaker |
| Years active | 1944-1945 |
| Employer | Foreign Office |
| Spouse(s) | James Paton |
Marion Paton (1923 – December 2016) was a British accountant and a secret codebreaker during World War II. She worked at a very important place called Bletchley Park, where she helped to crack enemy codes.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Marion was born in 1923 in a place called Aldborough, in North Riding of Yorkshire, England. When she was 13, her family moved to York. There, she went to the Mill Mount Grammar School.
A Talent for Numbers
After finishing school, Marion started working at an accounting firm in York. She was very good with numbers. This skill would soon become very important for her country.
Working at Bletchley Park
When Marion was 18, the Foreign Office asked her to join the war effort. She was chosen to work at Bletchley Park. This was a top-secret center where Britain tried to break enemy codes during World War II.
Becoming a Codebreaker
Marion was picked because she had one of the highest scores in the country for her maths exam. From July 1944 to April 1945, she worked in a building called Block B. Her job was to help decode secret messages from the enemy navy. Decoding means figuring out what secret messages say.
A Secret Service
Marion's work was so secret that she had to sign the Official Secrets Act. This meant she could never tell anyone what she did during the war, not even her own family.
For her important work, Marion is honored at Bletchley Park. Her name is on the Roll of Honour and the Codebreakers Wall.
After the War
Marion left Bletchley Park earlier than some others. She went home to care for her sick mother. Her mother was very ill, and Marion wanted to be with her.
After the war ended, Marion went back to her job as an accountant. In 1948, she married James Paton, who had been a navigator in the Royal Air Force (RAF).
