We are saddened to hear the news that Charlotte 'Betty' Webb has passed away. Her role as a code breaker at Bletchley Park during the Second World War made her an essential contributor to the Allied success in the conflict. A gifted linguist and administrator, she also worked on secret messages at the Pentagon, US, during the final months of the war. Greater knowledge of the significance of Bletchley Park in recent decades has led to better recognition of the code breakers and staff who worked there. Betty, alongside other previously overlooked women and men, was presented with awards and honours in recent years.

At the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Betty was interviewed by the HA along with other codebreakers.

She was then our guest of honour at the 2015 HA Annual Conference in Bristol, where she spoke about her wartime experiences. However, what most struck those of us that met her was her sharp mind, her sense of fun and enthusiasm for life. She radiated humility despite her remarkable life and was interested and intrigued by all that was happening around her. Betty represented a generation for whom service was expected and she would not disappoint, but more than that she was a quiet role model for young women and men throughout her life and her legacy will be the same.