First ever Enigma machine purchased by UK on display at Milton Keynes museum
A historic Enigma cipher machine has been unveiled at Bletchley Park to mark 100 years since it was first purchased and brought to Britain.
Named after its unique serial number A320, the machine played an important role in WW2 and is one of just five Enigma D models known to have survived.
Dr Thomas Cheetham, Research Officer at Bletchley Park Trust, said: “This particular Enigma machine was uniquely significant – its acquisition kickstarted the long relationship between British intelligence and Enigma.”
It was bought for £30 in Berlin in 1926 by Edward Travis of the Government Code and Cipher School (GC&CS), the organisation that later moved to Bletchley Park.
Famous cryptanalyst Hugh Foss studied the machine and uncovered weaknesses in its design.
Foss’s analysis helped to break Italian and Spanish Enigma communications in the 1930s. It also informed the design of Typex, Britain’s own wartime cipher machine.
A320 was taken to Bletchley Park during WW2, where its wiring was found to match machines still in German use.
The Enigma D was a forerunner of more complex models used by the German military and broken at Bletchley Park during WW2.
“A320 is where that story truly begins, and the centenary is a fitting time to mark it”, said Dr Cheetham.
Enigma A320, which is on loan from GCHQ, can be found in Block C Visitor Centre at Bletchley Park and is on display until early 2027.
You can purchase tickets to the museum and plan your visit at the Bletchley Park