Tributes paid after passing of Bletchley Park codebreaker Betty Webb

Tributes have been paid to Betty Webb MBE after the death of the Bletchley Park codebreaker at the age of 101.

Webb’s passing on March 31st 2025 was confirmed yesterday (01/04) in a statement by the Women’s Royal Army Corps Association.

Webb, who was born as Charlotte Webb, had been one of the team of codebreakers who worked at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. In her work, she helped decrypt both German and Japanese messages on behalf of the UK and US.

In 2015, she was awarded an MBE by the British Royal Family, while in 2021 she was also honoured with a Knight of the Légion d’Honneur, the highest military honour awarded by France.

In a brief statement, the WRAC said, “On Monday 31 March 2025 we lost a proud ATS and WRAC veteran, Bletchley code breaker, Knight of the Légion d’Honneur, WRAC Association member, and President of our Birmingham Branch. Betty inspired women in the Army for decades and we will continue to take pride in her service during WWII and beyond, and as a champion of female veterans.”

The Bletchley Park Trust, who run the site in its modern iteration as a museum, also paid tribute.

They said, “It is with great sadness that today (1 April), the Bletchley Park Trust has learnt that Charlotte (Betty) Webb MBE has passed away at the age of 101. Her contributions to Bletchley Park, during World War Two and to ensuring its legacy today, will never be forgotten. 

“Betty worked at Bletchley Park as a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the ATS, from 1941until 1945, indexing German messages and later paraphrasing Japanese signals.   

“For services to remembering and promoting the work of Bletchley Park, she was appointed MBE in 2015, and in May 2021 was awarded the Legion d’Honneur in recognition of her wartime work.  

“Betty was not only a member of the incredible team at Bletchley Park during World War II, but she also dedicated much of her life to raising the profile of Bletchley Park in more recent years.  Her tireless efforts in bringing the history of Bletchley Park to a wider audience, through sharing the stories of those who worked here, helped ensure that the vital role of Bletchley Park during World War Two, and its impact on the conflict was recognised.”