E195 - Bed and Board

September 2026

Most of the wartime staff at Bletchley Park were serving away from their homes and loved ones. But almost nobody actually lived on site. So where were they housed, and how were they fed? Billets - assigned living quarters - had to be found in the local area. These could vary enormously in quality, and the many different reminiscences of Bletchley Park's Veterans reflect this.

In this episode, Erica Munro, Head of Content at Bletchley Park Trust and Research Officer, Dr Thomas Cheetham, get to grips with the pressures involved in finding bed and board for thousands of staff, during a time of national strife. We also hear from more than a dozen Veterans who shared their experiences and memories as part of Bletchley Park Trust's oral history project.

Grateful thanks to the Veterans whose voices appear in this episode:

Miss Joan Ireland

Mrs Joan Joslin

Mrs Marjorie Campbell

Mrs Rozanne Colchester

Mrs Mary Kenyon

Miss Phyllis Keates

Mr Arthur Maddocks

Mrs Jean Evans