Bletchley code breaker Betty Webb dies aged 101
Betty Webb, a Bletchley Park code breaker during WWII, passed away at 101. She contributed to decoding messages, received France's Légion d'Honneur, and celebrated her 100th birthday at Bletchley Park.
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Betty Webb, a notable code breaker from Bletchley Park during World War II, has passed away at the age of 101. Webb, who was among the last surviving members of the Bletchley code breakers, died on Monday night, as confirmed by the Women's Royal Army Corps Association. She began her work at Bletchley Park at 18, later contributing to the decoding of Japanese messages at the Pentagon. In recognition of her service, she received France's Légion d'Honneur in 2021. Webb's contributions were significant in the Allies' war efforts, and she was known for inspiring women in the military. In her later years, she celebrated her 100th birthday at Bletchley Park and attended the coronation of King Charles III in 2023. Webb's experiences included strict secrecy about her work, which she could not disclose until decades later. Her legacy continues to be honored through tributes from historians and the military community.
- Betty Webb, a Bletchley Park code breaker, died at 101.
- She contributed to decoding enemy messages during WWII and later worked at the Pentagon.
- Webb received France's Légion d'Honneur in 2021 for her wartime service.
- She celebrated her 100th birthday at Bletchley Park and attended King Charles III's coronation in 2023.
- Webb's story highlights the vital role of women in military history.
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- Many commenters express sadness over the passing of WWII veterans and the loss of personal testimonies from that era.
- Several users share their experiences meeting Betty Webb and attending reunions at Bletchley Park.
- There is a desire for more recognition and understanding of the historical significance of codebreaking during WWII.
- Commenters recommend documentaries and books about Bletchley Park and its codebreakers.
- Some discussions touch on the broader implications of WWII history and the lessons learned from that time.
15 commentsWe have almost lost the chance now to hear personal testimony of WWII. I've met several Battle of Britain pilots too, but the last died in Dublin recently:
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0318/1502596-hemingway/
That's fantastic! RIP.
It's a really fascinating perspective on WWII and how crap Monty was at being a general; he was reading the Germans' messages and still couldn't defeat Rommel. Only when the Med fleet intercepted and sank all his resupply ships did Rommel's crew finally lose.
The Germans' overconfidence in the Enigma machine was a big part of their downfall, especially once America's resources came to bear. Of course, that's what they deserved for having a leader speedballing meth and morphine.
All that said, the interesting historical twist is that no WWII history before the 1970s is accurate because all the Bletchly work was completely classified until one of their officers wrote a book about it. They cover that in the documentaries, too. There were men and women who had never told their families about what they did during the war, until the news finally broke. One mentioned how her daughter wondered why her mom knew that 'M' was the 13th letter.
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Gladys West, a mathematician, significantly contributed to GPS development during her 42-year career, receiving accolades for her work in geodesy and satellite data processing, inspiring future generations in STEM.
Visit Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park, open daily, showcases WWII codebreakers' achievements through exhibitions and activities. It offers educational programs, a Roll of Honour, on-site dining, and hosts events like a 1940s weekend.
Remembering Grace Hopper
Grace Hopper was a pioneering computer scientist who developed COBOL, popularized "debugging," and advocated for programming standards. She served in the Navy until age 79 and received many awards.
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Colossus, the first large-scale electronic computer
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