The only woman Junior Assistant at the formation of GC&CS in 1919
Emily Anderson joined MI1b, the Interception and cryptanalysis section of the War Office, in 1918. She was the only woman Junior Assistant at the formation of GC&CS in 1919, by far the most capable of the JAs, and was Head of the Italian Diplomatic section by 1927. She was considered the leading book-builder in GC&CS and expected her own high standards in her colleagues and subordinates: Tiltman wrote that 'she seemed to bully any of my attached officers who worked under her'.
She accepted a posting to GHQ Middle East in July 1940 and was appointed OBE in July 1943 for her work there. She returned to the UK to work on diplomatic targets, and after the war stayed on in GCHQ. Her work in editing and publishing the letters of Mozart and Beethoven led the German government to award the Officer's Cross of the German Order of Merit.
