From: Infosecurity-Magazine.com

Most people have heard of the tragic genius Alan Turing who was instrumental in breaking the Nazi Enigma code machine at Bletchley Park. But fewer know the role of Captain Jerry Roberts in cracking the more advanced Tunny machine.

Bletchley Park, which quietly and secretly evolved into the modern spy center GCHQ, was home to the UK’s code-breaking efforts during World War 2. Alan Turing is probably the best known of the code-breakers (he committed suicide by cyanide in 1954, probably as a result of persecution for his homosexuality). Less known, however, is the ‘Testery’ group which successfully broke the Lorenz code used with the Tunny code machine. While Enigma was based on four revolving wheels, Tunny used 12 wheels and was considered by the Nazi high command to be unbreakable.

But break it they did; and key Testery member Capt Jerry Roberts has now been honored for his work with the award of an MBE. “Speaking on Radio 5 Live,” reports the BBC, “he said he was pleased to be appointed MBE, but felt his colleagues perhaps deserved greater recognition.” Capt Roberts, now aged 92, has spent the last few years campaigning for greater recognition of what he calls the ‘four T’s’: the Testery group as a whole, Turing, Bill Tutte and Tommy Flowers.

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