Sarah Baring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarah Baring
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Sarah Baring as a debutante, aged 18
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| Born |
Hon. Sarah Kathleen Elinor Norton
20 January 1920 |
| Died | 4 February 2013 (aged 93) |
| Occupation | Socialite, wartime linguist |
| Spouse(s) |
William Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor
(m. 1945; div. 1953)Lt-Col Thomas Baring
(m. 1953; div. 1965) |
| Children | William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor |
| Parent(s) | Richard Norton, 6th Baron Grantley Jean Mary Kinloch |
Sarah Kathleen Elinor Baring (born Norton; 20 January 1920 – 4 February 2013) was an English woman known for her social life and for writing about her experiences. During World War II, she worked for three years as a linguist at Bletchley Park. This was a top-secret place where the Allied forces broke enemy codes. She was married to William Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor, from 1945 to 1953.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Sarah was born on 20 January 1920. Her full name at birth was Hon. Sarah Kathleen Elinor Norton. Her father was Richard Norton, 6th Baron Grantley, a filmmaker. Her mother was Jean Mary Kinloch.
Working During the War
Early Jobs
Before working at Bletchley Park, Sarah had several jobs. For a short time, she worked for Vogue magazine and the Baltimore Sun newspaper. She then became a telephonist at an Air Raid Precautions Centre. This center helped people during air raids.
Later, she helped build Hurricane fighter planes at a factory near Slough. She shared a small house with a friend and colleague named Osla Benning. Both Sarah and Osla were god-daughters of Lord Louis Mountbatten. He was a famous naval officer. Lord Mountbatten once asked Sarah to find a "nice girl" for his nephew, Prince Philip. Sarah introduced Osla Benning to Prince Philip, and Osla became his first girlfriend.
Secret Work at Bletchley Park
A few months later, Sarah and Osla were both tested on their German language skills. They were then sent to Hut 4 at Bletchley Park. This was a secret government site. At Bletchley Park, skilled people worked to break secret codes used by enemy forces during World War II. Sarah's language skills were very important for this work.
Later Life and Memories
In her later years, Sarah Baring wrote a book about her life. It was called The Road To Station X. In this book, she shared stories about London society before the war and her time working at Bletchley Park.
Personal Life
On VE-Day (Victory in Europe Day), Sarah went to a party. There, she met William Waldorf Astor. He was the son of the 2nd Viscount Astor and Nancy Astor, who was a Member of Parliament. Sarah and William got engaged very quickly, after only five days. They married a month later on 14 June 1945.
Their son, William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor, was born in 1951. Sarah and William divorced in 1953. After that, she married Lt-Col Thomas Michael Baring. He was a former officer, a polo player, and an art consultant. Sarah and Thomas Baring divorced in 1965. Sarah Baring passed away in 2013 when she was 93 years old.
