Changes

'''Thomas Harold "Tommy" Flowers,''' (22 December 1905- 28 October 1998), British engineer and scientist, played an important part in the Allied victory in [[World War II]] through his valuable contribution to the code-breaking operations at [[Bletchley Park]]. He led the team that designed and built '''Colossus''' - the first electronic programmable computer - to break the complex encoded communiques between the German High Command and the field. The first model was demonstrated at Bletchley Park, the British forces' Intelligence Centre, in December 1943, with a faster version in operation by June 1944, days before D Day. Historians believe that the codebreaking facilitated by Colossus shortened the war by two years.

'''Thomas Harold "Tommy" Flowers,''' (22 December 1905- 28 October 1998), British engineer and scientist, played an important part in the Allied victory in [[World War II]] through his valuable contribution to the code-breaking operations at [[Bletchley Park]]. He led the team that designed and built '''Colossus''' - the first electronic programmable computer - to break the complex encoded communiques between the German High Command and the field. The first model was demonstrated at Bletchley Park, the British forces' Intelligence Centre, in December 1943, with a faster version in operation by June 1944, days before D Day. Historians believe that the codebreaking facilitated by Colossus shortened the war by two years.

==Early Life==

==Early life==

Born in Poplar in the East End, the poorest part of [[London]] in 1905, the son of a bricklayer, Flowers gained a scholarship to technical college, enabling him to stay in full-time education until aged 16, which was then very unusual for a working-class boy. He served a four- year mechanical apprenticeship at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, gained a London University degree in Engineering through evening classes, and then joined the Post Office as an electrical engineer in 1926, aged 20. Besides his involvement with electronic telephone transmissions, he also did sterling work in the forward line of the DH hockey team in the immediate pre-war years.

Born in Poplar in the East End, the poorest part of [[London]] in 1905, the son of a bricklayer, Flowers gained a scholarship to technical college, enabling him to stay in full-time education until aged 16, which was then very unusual for a working-class boy. He served a four- year mechanical apprenticeship at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, gained a London University degree in Engineering through evening classes, and then joined the Post Office as an electrical engineer in 1926, aged 20. Besides his involvement with electronic telephone transmissions, he also did sterling work in the forward line of the DH hockey team in the immediate pre-war years.

The new machines, code-named "Tunny", were to be fed with an enciphered message tape, and after being set up according to the Colossus data, were to produce a printed output on a teleprinter in clear German. To facilitate the testing of Tunny, one of the design engineers devised a certain set of code wheel patterns, and on his next visit Flowers was invited to type in the message "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party". He and his team worked a 12- or 14-hour day throughout the war without complaint.

The new machines, code-named "Tunny", were to be fed with an enciphered message tape, and after being set up according to the Colossus data, were to produce a printed output on a teleprinter in clear German. To facilitate the testing of Tunny, one of the design engineers devised a certain set of code wheel patterns, and on his next visit Flowers was invited to type in the message "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party". He and his team worked a 12- or 14-hour day throughout the war without complaint.

==Later Career==

==Later career==

After the war, Flowers continued his work at Dollis Hill, applying his expertise of electronics to telephone switching and signalling systems.

After the war, Flowers continued his work at Dollis Hill, applying his expertise of electronics to telephone switching and signalling systems.

He is one of [[World War II]]'s unsung heroes. Until recently he remained virtually unknown and has never received the public recognition he deserves.

He is one of [[World War II]]'s unsung heroes. Until recently he remained virtually unknown and has never received the public recognition he deserves.

<ref> https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-tommy-flowers-1184727.html

<ref>https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-tommy-flowers-1184727.html

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/world-war-two-in-western-europe/code-breaking-at-bletchley-park/tommy-flowers/

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/world-war-two-in-western-europe/code-breaking-at-bletchley-park/tommy-flowers/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/connecting-britain/amazing-story-d-day-colossus-tommy-flowers/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/connecting-britain/amazing-story-d-day-colossus-tommy-flowers/

''This has led to numerous biographies, films and other dramatic portrayals of Turing. “[Yet] there has been nothing comparable for Flowers, for whom words like ‘kindly’, ‘modest’, ‘self-effacing’ are as appropriate as ‘brilliant’ and ‘inventive’.”''

''This has led to numerous biographies, films and other dramatic portrayals of Turing. “[Yet] there has been nothing comparable for Flowers, for whom words like ‘kindly’, ‘modest’, ‘self-effacing’ are as appropriate as ‘brilliant’ and ‘inventive’.”''

''''''''

''''''''

<ref>http://www.idgconnect.com/abstract/9092/tommy-flowers-the-forgotten-father-computing </ref>

<ref>http://www.idgconnect.com/abstract/9092/tommy-flowers-the-forgotten-father-computing</ref>

There is an online campaign to hold an annual "Tommy Flowers Day" in his honor. <ref> http://www.idgconnect.com/blog-abstract/10858/planning-tommy-flowers-day-2016-reasons-join-crusade</ref>

There is an online campaign to hold an annual "Tommy Flowers Day" in his honor.<ref>http://www.idgconnect.com/blog-abstract/10858/planning-tommy-flowers-day-2016-reasons-join-crusade</ref>

==References==

==References==