Codebreakers with Dr Mark Baldwin in Bridport

Codebreakers by Dr Mark Baldwin can be seen at Bridport Electric Palace on Saturday, March 19 at 7.30pm.

This show is one of the Second World War’s most fascinating stories and tells of the Allied Codebreakers, who deciphered a vast number of German secret messages and used the intelligence gained to hasten Allied victory.

The Germans had entrusted their secret communications to an ingenious ciphering machine the Enigma, which was portable, easily operated, and could be set up in millions of ways. The codes were used and every one was changed every 24 hours.

Dr Baldwin was born in India, and spent much of his childhood in Africa. On graduation from Cambridge, he worked on a variety of engineering projects, before enrolling at Imperial College, London, on a Masters’ course, during which time he was head-hunted to be a lecturer in the Civil Engineering Department.

After 15 years’ university teaching, and a PhD, he moved to Shropshire to grow a book-selling and publishing business. A chance encounter with a book about the Engima machine piqued his interest, which grew over the next 20 years to him becoming one of the world’s foremost experts in the history, human story, and workings of the machine.

Dr Baldwin with his genuine Enigma machine has delivered more than 700 presentations and demonstrations, across seven countries, to more than 60,000 people globally.

He will talk about the code-breaking work at Bletchley Park, and U-boats and has built up a unique collection of slides which illustrate the main features of those important facts of the Second World War.

This talk includes the life and work of the great mathematician, computer scientist, Alan Turing.

The show is divided into two parts.

It is followed by an opportunity for questions, then a hands-on demonstration of one of the very few surviving Enigma machines.

Tickets cost £14 in advance or £16 on the door.

Go to www.electricpalace.org.uk or call 01308 424901.