The Naval Enigma Offizier settings were compromised during World War II due to a specific crib involving the string 'EEESSSPATRONE' developed by Rolf Noskwith. This breakthrough, processed by bombe analogue computers at Bletchley Park, allowed Allied forces to intercept and decrypt classified wireless traffic sent between officers of the German Kriegsmarine from 1941 through 1945.
Early Migration and Education
Born in Chemnitz in 1919 to parents Chaim and Malka, Noskwith lived in Germany before the family relocated to England in 1932 to avoid deteriorating political conditions. His father, a textile manufacturer, eventually established the firm Charnos in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Before his wartime service, Noskwith completed his education at Nottingham High School, followed by undergraduate studies at Trinity College, Cambridge.
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Noskwith arrived at Bletchley Park in June 1941 following interviews with C. P. Snow and Hugh Alexander. Initially rejected due to his German background, he gained security clearance after regulations were revised in May 1941. Working within Hut 8 under the direction of Shaun Wylie, his primary responsibility involved decrypting naval ciphers. He frequently utilized cipher text strips to identify matches for cribs, a process integral to the facility's intelligence output.
Corporate Leadership and Legacy
Following the war, Noskwith entered the textile industry at Charnos, where he was appointed chairman in 1952 and eventually served as non-executive chairman of Charnos plc around 2000. He passed away on 3 January 2017 in London at the age of 97. Posthumously, a handwritten mathematical manuscript by Alan Turing was discovered among his personal effects and sold at Bonhams for £44,000 to King's College, Cambridge.
Fast facts
- Born: 1919, Chemnitz
- Died: 3 January 2017, London
- Education: Trinity College, Cambridge
- Role: Cryptographer, Hut 8
- Industry: Textiles, Charnos
- Key Contribution: Naval Enigma Offizier settings
Questions readers ask
Was Rolf Noskwith the final surviving Bletchley Park cryptographer?
He is widely believed to have been the last surviving member of the Bletchley Park codebreaking staff at the time of his death in 2017.
What happened to the Turing manuscript found after his death?
The two-page handwritten document was sold at Bonhams auction house for £44,000 and acquired by King's College, Cambridge.
