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History

Key figures in SIGINT

Throughout our one hundred years many trailblazers have worked, in secret to change the course of history. Discover their stories.

Page 3 of 6

Surnames C - G

Here you'll find stories of the incredible achievements of our people, including the inventor of the COLOSSUS computer, and a cryptanalyst whose work helped to break the Zimmermann Telegram.

Image reads Key figures in SIGINT and a GCHQ crest on a dark blue background
Person

Joan Clarke

Mathematician in Bletchley Park's Hut 8

William Francis 'Nobby' Clarke
Person

William Francis ‘Nobby’ Clarke

One of the founder members of the GC&CS and one of Captain Ridley's Shooting Party
An image of Nigel de Grey
Person

Nigel de Grey

Cryptanalyst in both World Wars, who worked on the Zimmermann telegram

Image reads Key figures in SIGINT and a GCHQ crest on a dark blue background
Person

Eric Earnshaw-Smith

Head of the Diplomatic Section at Bletchley Park

GCHQ cryptographer James Ellis
Person

James Ellis

Conceived of the possibility of "non-secret encryption", now more commonly known as public-key cryptography
Tommy Flowers
Person

Tommy Flowers

GPO switch engineer who led the Bletchley Park team who built COLOSSUS, the forerunner of the modern computer

Hugh Foss
Person

Hugh Foss

Bletchley Park cryptanalyst whose Japanese language skills came into good use against Japanese machine cipher systems

Black and white portrait photo of Jack Good, a white male, wearing glasses and suit.
Person

Jack Good

It was both Good's aptitude for mathematics and for chess that brought him to the attention of Hugh Alexander and Bletchley Park

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