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Silent Film Reel Shows Staff Connected to Bletchley Park for First Time
An 11-minute silent film shows smiling staff who worked for one of Britains most secret second world war units.
Credit: Bletchley Park/YouTube
Unique and "astonishing" film footage has emerged of men and women who worked for one of Britain's most secret second world war units.
The 11-minute silent film shows smiling staff who worked for MI6 Section VIII at Whaddon Hall in Buckinghamshire, a secret site connected to Bletchley Park. It was at Whaddon that some of the nation's most skilled wireless operators would send out messages that had been decrypted by codebreakers.
The reel of footage, preserved in its original canister, has been given to Bletchley Park Trust by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.
"This is without a doubt one of the most remarkable finds we've ever had at Bletchley Park," said Peronel Craddock, the head of collections and exhibitions.
The silent film is mostly black and white, with some colour sections, and was filmed at different times between 1939 and 1945. It shows off-duty men and women smiling and chatting to whoever was behind the camera. There is also footage of the Whaddon hunt, a football game and a cricket match played in beautiful summer sunshine.
From: The Guardian (U.K.)
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