Audrey Ruth Briggs (1920–2005) was a

cryptanalyst Cryptanalysis (from the Greek ''kryptós'', "hidden", and ''analýein'', "to analyze") refers to the process of analyzing information systems in order to understand hidden aspects of the systems. Cryptanalysis is used to breach cryptographic se ...

Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and Bletchley Park estate, estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire), that became the principal centre of Allies of World War II, Allied World War II cryptography, code-breaking during the S ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Background

Ruth Briggs was the youngest daughter of Rev. Canon George Wallace Briggs and Constance (née Barrow). She had two sisters and two brothers, one of whom,

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

, became Headmaster of

King's College School, Cambridge King's College School is a coeducational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private Preparatory school (UK), preparatory school for pupils aged 4 to 13 in Cambridge, England, situated on West Road, Cambridge, West Road off Grange Road, Cam ...

. She graduated in Modern Languages from

Newnham College Newnham College is a women's constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sidgwick and suffragist campaigner Millicen ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

and from 1942 to 1945, as an expert in German, worked at Bletchley Park as a member of the Z Watch, which translated the decrypted messages. She worked variously in Huts 4 and 5, Block A(N), and Naval Section NS I - German Cryptography. Briggs's work has been recognised in breaking codes used by the Axis powers during the war. About 75% of the Bletchley Park staff were women but few female codebreakers were recognised for their work. In 1946 she married former SOE Officer Major

Oliver Churchill William Oliver Churchill, (1914–1997) was a Special Operations Executive (SOE) officer during the Second World War. He was the younger brother of Walter Churchill and Peter Churchill. Early life Churchill was born in Stockholm in 1914 the s ...

DSO MC in

Worcester Cathedral Worcester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and Blessed Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England cathedral in Worcester, England, Worcester, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Worcester and is the Mother Church# ...

where her father was a

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

, and she had three children,

Toby Toby is a given name in many English-speaking world, English speaking countries. The name is derived the Middle English vernacular form of Tobias. Tobias itself is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew טוביה ''Toviah'', which translates t ...

, Simon, and Flora.

References

1920 births 2005 deaths Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge British cryptographers Bletchley Park people Bletchley Park women {{cryptography-stub