GCHQ celebrates 100 years of helping keep the country safe
On Friday 1st November we celebrated our centenary – marking 100 years of helping keep the country safe.
From our origins in Room 40 of the Admiralty to Bletchley Park through to today’s sites across the UK, we have been at the heart of the nation’s security. Over the past 100 years we have helped to shorten wars and save countless lives as well as tackling the most serious cyber, terrorist, criminal and state threats.
The day was marked with a celebratory event at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire. Director Jeremy Fleming was joined by Five Eyes partners, Bletchley Park veterans and members of today’s workforce to celebrate the 100-year history of the organisation while looking to the future as they prepare for the next 100 years.
To commemorate the centenary, Jeremy Fleming placed one of the hundreds of markers laid out in the shape of a ‘100’ at the site. The markers contain personal messages from members of staff with their wishes for the future of GCHQ and will be stored in the GCHQ archives.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “GCHQ has been home to some of the brightest people in the country who quietly, and without fanfare, work day and night to keep us safe. “The Centenary provides an opportunity to recognise their enormous contribution to the security of the UK and I thank them for all that they do.”
Director GCHQ Jeremy Fleming said: “For GCHQ, it has been a century of shortening wars, saving lives and giving the UK a technical edge. Our centenary is a chance to celebrate those achievements and to thank those men and women who have given themselves to this work. But it is also a chance to look forward. I can’t predict what GCHQ will look like 100 years from now. Who we are has been shaped by the changing threats and technology around us. In the future we will continue to face enormous complexity but also enormous opportunity.
“Although hugely different to the organisation that began back in 1919, there is much that is recognisable in our DNA. So, what I can say with confidence is that GCHQ will continue to keep the country safe with the help of amazing partners and will at its heart, have a future workforce that continues to build on the legacy of those who have come before.”
He added: “Organisations like ours that seek to keep the country safe cannot shout about our mission. We work against the most severe problems that the country faces: we tackle serious cyber, terrorist, criminal, and state threats. And we’re doing that in an increasingly transparent and open way. I welcome this shift.
“We’re living through a period of accelerated change in terms of technology: that comes with huge advantages and unique challenges for society. It means the way we work is changing. But throughout our history we have always tackled developments in communications to stay one step ahead. We have always risen to the challenge that change brings.”
Speaking about our Five Eyes partnerships he said: “In World War Two, we developed partnerships with intelligence agencies from the US and the Commonwealth countries that have stood the test of time.... The UKUSA agreement was signed in 1946 and in the following ten years, the Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders would become full partners too.
“In 2021 we will mark the 75th anniversary of the UKUSA agreement that became the cornerstone of the Five Eyes relationship. It goes beyond the sharing of tradecraft, data and intelligence reporting. People take up roles in each other’s organisations, further strengthening the understanding between our agencies. It’s a quite extraordinary partnership that plays a pivotal part in global security and stability, and still stands strong today.”
We have celebrated our centenary throughout the year. In February, Her Majesty The Queen unveiled the our centenary plaque at Watergate House, GCHQ’s first home between 1919 and 1921. Following the great success of the GCHQ Puzzle Book, we released the GCHQ Puzzle Book II with profits going to one of the centenary charities, Heads Together.
In July this year a free exhibition ‘Top Secret: From Ciphers to Cyber Security’, began at the Science Museum in London, giving visitors the chance to explore the history of communications intelligence with previously unseen artefacts. Also in July, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales visited our Cheltenham Headquarters accompanied by a Red Arrows flypast.
And finally, in October we partnered with the Royal British Legion to launch this year’s Poppy Appeal, highlighting the unseen contributions of our Armed Forces which GCHQ has supported throughout our 100-year history.
A full version of Jeremy Fleming's speech at the National Memorial Arboretum can be found here.
