Alan Turing's wartime notes have been saved for the nation following a public fund-raising campaign and a last-minute cash injection of £200,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Turing was one of the founding fathers of modern computing and was instrumental in breaking the German Enigma code.
His finest hours came at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, where he helped create the Bombe machine which deciphered Germany's Enigma messages. I have a soft spot for Bletchley Park, which is open to the public and provides a fascinating day out. For anyone interested in computers it's a must.
Poor Turing. His work, which was kept secret from the British public until the late 1980s, was crucial to the war effort. It can be argued that he did more for his country than thousands of others involved fighting the war. Yet, because he was gay he was hounded by the bigots of the day and eventually committed suicide in 1954.
Two years ago thousands submitted a petition to No.10 Downing Street calling for a public apology to Turing. Gordon Brown, the prime minister at the time, could only say he was "sorry for the 'appalling' way Turing was treated".
Source: Daily Telegraph
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