OVERVIEW

[William F. Clarke, barrister, received a commission as an Assistant Paymaster RNVR at the beginning of 1915. He was the son of Oscar Wilde's counsel and had been educated at Uppingham and Magdalen College, Oxford, and was fluent in German. In 1916, the Director of Intelligence, William R. "Blinker" Hall, recruited him for Room 40. Clarke was only an average cryptanalyst, but his legal training made him a good Intelligence Officer. After WW I he and Frank Birch, another cryptanalysts, were assigned to compile a secret record of the activities of the German fleet. Clarke was one of the few people who remained with Room 40's successor, the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) from its inception through the end of WW II. He wrote extensively about the history of the organizations in which he served, his experiences, views and co-workers.

This is the third of four sections from Clarke's papers and it was written nine years after he ended a 29 year cryptologic career which began in 1916. Clarke's papers are held by the Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College Cambridge, with reference identification CLKE 3. The copyright to these papers is held by Clarke's son, Judge Edward Clarke QC, and all excerpts are printed with his permission.]

Forsan et haec olim memisse iuvabit

[Perhaps someday it will be pleasant to remember this.]

The receipt yesterday of a letter from my oldest and most valued co-worker asking for some information for a very old colleague of...