Francis Birch (cryptographer)
Encyclopedia
Francis Lyall Birch (5 December 1889 – 14 February 1956) was a British cryptographer. He was educated at Eton
and King’s College, Cambridge. He was awarded an OBE in 1919 and CMG
in 1945.
In World War I he was in the RNVR, and served in the Atlantic, the Channel and the Dardanelles before joining the Naval Intelligence Division (Room 40
) from 1916 to 1919. He wrote a satirical history of Room 40, Alice in ID25.
He was a Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge 1915-34 and a Lecturer in History at Cambridge University 1921-28.
He left Cambridge for the stage in the 1930s.
He joined the Naval section at Bletchley Park
in September 1939, and later became Head of the (German) Naval Section. He had to face the shortage of Bombe
s to decipher the Naval Enigma
, which led to the use of American Bombes via OP-20-G
.
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and King’s College, Cambridge. He was awarded an OBE in 1919 and CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1945.
In World War I he was in the RNVR, and served in the Atlantic, the Channel and the Dardanelles before joining the Naval Intelligence Division (Room 40
Room 40
In the history of Cryptanalysis, Room 40 was the section in the Admiralty most identified with the British cryptoanalysis effort during the First World War.Room 40 was formed in October 1914, shortly after the start of the war...
) from 1916 to 1919. He wrote a satirical history of Room 40, Alice in ID25.
He was a Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge 1915-34 and a Lecturer in History at Cambridge University 1921-28.
He left Cambridge for the stage in the 1930s.
He joined the Naval section at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
in September 1939, and later became Head of the (German) Naval Section. He had to face the shortage of Bombe
Bombe
The bombe was an electromechanical device used by British cryptologists to help decipher German Enigma-machine-encrypted signals during World War II...
s to decipher the Naval Enigma
Enigma
An enigma is a type of riddle generally expressed in radical or allegorical language that requires ingenuity and careful thought for its solution.Enigma, aenigma, or enigmatic may also refer to:-Music:...
, which led to the use of American Bombes via OP-20-G
OP-20-G
OP-20-G or "Office of Chief Of Naval Operations , 20th Division of the Office of Naval Communications, G Section / Communications Security", was the US Navy's signals intelligence and cryptanalysis group during World War II. Its mission was to intercept, decrypt, and analyze naval communications...
.