Sir Harry Hinsley
Last night I went to the launch party of a book about my old college, St. John's College, Cambridge. There were reminiscences of many of the great and the good, and the not so good. One of the great was Harry Hinsley, Master when I was up. His intelligence work at Bletchley Park during the war was invaluable to the country. He made his name there under unfortunate circumstances in 1940 when he warned the Admiralty that it would be foolhardy for British ships to sail down from Norway because the radio traffic indicated that the Germans were ready to ambush them. This advice was ignored, possibly because he was only 22 at the time. As a result HMS Glorious and two destroyers were lost. After this event, he was taken seriously and messages would go from the Admiralty to the Navy with the words, "Source: Hinsley" at the bottom. He would speak on the phone regularly to Churchill, beginning conversations with the words, "Prime Minister? Hinsley here." These experiences coloured his style of lecturing in History when he returned to Cambridge after the war and he'd say "So here we have Charlemagne. Imagine he's on the blower to the Pope. What would he say?"
posted by Whispering Walls at 8:47 am
8 Comments:
Hmmm..Just sitting here, and the clock has struck four, so am stopping for a cup of tea..
Modestly you have omitted to mention whether you get a namecheck or a photo in this book ? Do tell.
This anecdote reminds of reading the novel 'Enigma' by Robert Harris. A good book, although I have a feeling it was turned into a sub-standard film ? Although the facts about Bletchley Park are better than any fiction. I recall a television series on Channel 4 [Station X ?] which spoke to people who worked there during the war.
One of the oddest anecdotes is about the huge calculating machines there. The valves generated so much heat that the ladies operating the machines, to change the 'programs' had to work in their underwear as it was so warm. So the relatively few men who worked there had to be kept at arms length. But I think Churchill summed it up along the lines of 'It was the goose that laid the golden egg, and won us the war, and didn't crow about it'.
You may well know the quote more accurately. The story of how the codes were cracked because of laziness by the Germans giving out the weather forecasts does make one think how very differently events might have turned out.
It also makes me think that history would be so much better if it could be taught with the excitement of a 'current affairs' bulletin. Hinsley clearly had this descriptive ability. Perhaps we should get Boris Johnson to do a series called
'Have I got really, really old news for you' - set at various key times in the history of Great Britain...
The goose that laid the golden eggs but never cackled. I read the Station X book: what great stories! (Yes, managed to get my photo in...)
Ah - will have to look that book up - was this a separate non-fiction book, or was this a spin-off from the TV series ?
I am also a tad concerned that you are mingling with Damon Buffini ? I read today that he grew up on a council estate ?! Of course, he, like me, is probably of the age when one could climb the social ladder [not very far necessarily in my case], but this seems to be a bit of a dated concept these days.
Unless, of course, one is a Nulabour politician with a book deal in the pipeline...
Although I am a bit concerned that he is alleged not to be very nice to AA patrolmen in ill-health, though one can never really get the full story on these things from the newspapers.
OOH! Do tell where!
More from Mr Buffini in yesterday's Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/24/nbank124.xml
kinglear, good to have you back, I was rather worried you had gone awol.
Not sure if you follow the rugby, but at least a Welshman like me, a Scotsman like yourself and our dear host can be united in sympathy on this day...
Dear WW, to invite you to guestblog, which I wish to do, Blogger says I must send them your e-mail. Any ideas? Keep up the good work.
Vulture Culture.
Part 1/ Apparently 'vulture funds' are back in the news again. Many countries have found that their sovereign debt has been sold off to these funds for a fraction of their principal amounts, and the countries are now seeing the bailiffs move in to try and claim a huge amount more than they paid for them. Details here.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/218275/117222623849.htm
Would be interested in your thoughts, since if all debt to the third world becomes irrecoverable that might cause a 'credit crunch' which might be worse ?
Part 2 / My eye was caught in the Telegraph yesterday by an advert for 'Vulture Funds' - clearly designed to cash in on recent news- but actually an advert by the RSPB.
It was appealing to recipients of big city bonuses to 'do their bit' to save the vultures of this world.
Clearly the Protection of Birds does extend to 'vultures' these days [no doubt an endangered species]. Maybe they've got Tim Bell working on their PR...
Part 3 / I went to see 'Casablanca' at the cinema tonight. Absolutely fantastic !! A lot of people are put off 'old films' because they seem them on the 'small screen' with crackly soundtrack and poor picture quality. This has been digitally remastered, which I guess also includes using 'photoshop' type technology to 'airbrush' out the marks on the film. This must take ages, even with a computer, as a lot of the shots are 'soft focus' but it is worth it to see Ingrid Bergman look absolutely stunning.
Raised many a laugh, and I think a few tears too. Why don't more of these classics get re-released at the cinema ? TV ain't the same..
4/ I mentioned earlier about the vultures getting their PR sorted.
Of absolutely no connection, I see that Mr Buffini is using Lord Bell for help with his PR campaign. He has a good story to tell, as he is clearly no 'vulture' - a fact which is reflected in today's Observer where 'Private Equity Funds' are described as locusts ! No doubt Tim is will be telling Damon tomorrow 'Look on the bright side - at least locusts are vegetarians, vultures aren't...' Though I can't help but think that additional transparency is going to be required. Although plenty of plc's could teach them a thing or two about secrecy and lack of control and accountability.
The case for vulture funds is an interesting one. I believe in a free market and legal process so if countries issue bonds with clauses attached and receive money, in my opinion, they have a duty to honour their legal obligations later. There will always be companies like Donegal who try to make a quick buck. One can complain about the morality but in the end it comes down to the law and in this case the judge awarded them part of their claim.
Casablanca's a great film: I'd love to see the digitally reworked version.
Post a Comment
<< Home