Codebreaker Turing’s school report to go on display at museum

Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing’s school report, encouraging him to provide “sound knowledge rather than vague ideas”, is to go on public display for the first time.

The report belonging to the scientist, widely regarded as the father of modern computing, will feature alongside other personal items and rarely seen coding devices.

The Cambridge exhibition Codebreakers and Groundbreakers will be made up of pieces on loan from the Turing Archive at King’s College in the city.

A report from Sherborne School in Dorset showed Turing, who went on to carry out groundbreaking work in cracking the Enigma encryption used by the Nazis, had “distinct promise” in maths.

But his teacher gently scolded his presentation style, reminding him to provide a “neat and tidy solution on paper”. His 0 Alan Turing was said to show ‘distinct promise’ in maths physics teacher noted he had done “some good work, but generally sets it down badly”. He adds: “He must remember Cambridge will want sound knowledge rather than vague ideas.”

Letters from Turing sent from the former codebreaking headquarters Bletchley Park to his mother telling of his sponsorship of two Jewish refugees can also be viewed.

A mathematics book chosen by him as a prize to honour a close schoolfriend who died aged 18 will also feature, as will a teaspoon removed from the scientist’s home by his mother after his death from cyanide poisoning in 1954.