Mavis Batey - Bletchley Park Codebreaker

 Mavis Batey (1921–2013) was a British codebreaker at Bletchley Park during World War II and a renowned post-war garden historian and conservationist. 

Mavis Batey Bletchley Codebreaker

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Late 1930s. When World War II was declared, Mavis Batey, previously studying German Romanticism, abandoned her studies to do her duty for her country. At Bletchley Park, Britain's best kept secret, she became one of the first women codebreakers, a pioneer and a star, breaking codes vital to bringing peace.

Mavis Batey , a unique biography, delves into the life of one of Britain's best female codebreakers, taking the reader through the war and to the arrival of peace, when Mavis turned her attention from breaking codes to the conservation and preservation of gardens. Mavis became an important figure in conservation, becoming President of the Garden History Society, which, under her watch, became an academic society and campaigning force for the protection of landscapes, parks, and gardens of historic interest. She also lobbied Parliament, fighting threats of encroachment and misuse of land. Acts of Parliament were passed, English Heritage was established, and grants were introduced. Historic gardens became officially recognised as essential components of European culture and her National Register of Historic Gardens came to fruition. Mavis's passion was writing and she wrote many books.

Mavis was finally awarded the RHS Veitch Memorial Medal and the MBE for Services to the preservation and conservation of historic landscapes. Mavis never did retire: her final project was to inspire an American Garden Trail for Bletchley Park which she signed off just a few months before her death in November 2013.

WWII Codebreaking

Mavis Batey, née Lever, was recruited in 1940 while studying German at University College London. Her key achievements as a codebreaker in the research unit run by Dillwyn "Dilly" Knox (ISK) included: 

• Battle of Cape Matapan: In March 1941, at just 19 years old, she made a crucial breakthrough in breaking Italian naval Enigma codes, which contributed significantly to the British Royal Navy's decisive victory over the Italian fleet in the Mediterranean.
• D-Day Landings: She was later the first to crack messages from the German intelligence service, the Abwehr, a vital breakthrough that helped confirm the success of an Allied deception operation to misdirect German forces about the location of the D-Day landings. 

She met her husband, Keith Batey, who was also a codebreaker, at Bletchley Park. Due to the Official Secrets Act, they were not allowed to discuss their work with each other, even after the war, until the details began to be declassified decades later. 

Post-War Career and Legacy

After the war, Mavis Batey became a leading figure in garden history and conservation. 

• Conservation Work: As Honorary Secretary and later President of the Garden History Society (now The Gardens Trust), she campaigned extensively for the protection and preservation of historic landscapes, parks, and gardens.
• Legislation: Her efforts led to the 1974 Town and Country Amenities Act, which was the first legislation to recognize historic gardens alongside listed buildings. She also initiated the creation of the national Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, which is now maintained by English Heritage.
• Awards and Recognition: For her conservation work, she was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Veitch Memorial Medal in 1985 and was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1987. 

Batey, who died in 2013, authored numerous books on garden history and a biography of her mentor, Dilly Knox. She was also a consultant for the 2001 film Enigma, with the character Hester Wallace reportedly partly modeled on her.