Betty Webb

MBE
Birth nameCharlotte Elizabeth Vine-Stevens
Born (1923-05-13) May 13, 1923
AllegianceGreat Britain
Service/branchAuxiliary Territorial Service
Years of service1941–1945
Awards

Charlotte Elizabeth Webb, MBE (née Vine-Stevens; born 13 May 1923)[1] worked as a code breaker[2] at Bletchley Park during World War II at the age of 18.[3][4][5] Starting in 1941 she joined the British Auxiliary Territorial Service.[6] She said, of joining the top-secret mission at Bletchley, "I wanted to do something more for the war effort than bake sausage rolls."[5]

Webb grew up with a German au pair before becoming an exchange student in Germany. Upon arrival at Bletchley she was tasked with cataloguing encrypted German radio messages intercepted by the British, contributing to the breaking of the German cipher Enigma.[2][5] During her time at Bletchley she also worked on intercepted Japanese messages.[5] After the war ended in Europe, Webb traveled to Washington D.C. to assist the Americans with the war in the Pacific.[5][7][8]

Webb was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours "for services to remembering and promoting the work of Bletchley Park."[9][10] In 2021, Webb's work at Bletchley Park was recognized by the government of France, with her appointment as Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour).[11]

As of February 2021, Webb lived in Worcestershire, England.[8]

Webb turned 100 in May 2023.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Keogh, Kat (5 September 2012). "Wythall woman's role as a WWII Enigma codebreaker at Bletchley Park". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Women in IT Awards winners revealed at glitzy ceremony". Information Age. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Roll of Honour". Bletchley Park.
  4. ↑ "Michael Portillo hails Bletchley Park's secret heroes". Bletchley Park. 14 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "'I wanted to do something more for the war effort than bake sausage rolls.'". Magazine. 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Portrait painting: Betty Webb MBE | National Army Museum". www.nam.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Emotional reunion after 70 years for Bletchley Park veterans". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  8. 1 2 Wright, John (28 February 2021). "WW2 codebreaker Betty Webb: 'It horrifies me when people talk about money'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  9. ↑ United Kingdom: "No. 61256". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 2015. p. B27.
  10. ↑ Lusher, Adam (1 January 2018). "94-year-old Bletchley Park veteran: I helped defeat the Nazis in 1941 and I'm ready to fight fascism again now". The Independent. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  11. ↑ Harris, Tristan (3 July 2021). "Wythall's Bletchley Park veteran Betty Webb MBE is officially presented with the Légion d'Honneur by the French government". Bromsgrove Standard. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "Betty Webb: Thousands wish codebreaker, 100, happy birthday". BBC News. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
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