An Interview with Dermot Turing

2nd December 2015 - Imperial War Museum

Interview with Dermot Turing (Alan Turing's nephew)

I actually walked into this thinking that we could probably squeeze one question out of him and then he would have to move one, but it so happens that Dermot was more than happy to answer all our questions and gave us some great answers about his Uncle's essential work in World War II.

*pulls up two chairs for us*

1. What were you told about your uncle as a child?

• Not too much, just a few family stories - he was eccentric.
• Family didn't like to talk about what happened towards the end of his life.

2. How did you find out about what your uncle achieved during the war?

• Didn't find out about what he had done until the 1970's, when everyone found out what had been going on in Bletchley park during the war - Secret until then.
• There is a fully functional replica of the bomb in Bletchley park - Get a train from Birmingham New Street!

3. What did you think of the film?

• Charles Dance's character was much more sympathetic towards Turing - Never wore his uniform.
• Film is mainly fictional, hard not to get drawn in to it - although it is a 'great film'.
• The timeline is completely different, much more of a fast pace in the film.
• Benedict Cumberbatch did a great job of characterisation, not completely spot on in relation to the real man.
• He wasn't obsessed with Christopher, but got on well with his mother for 10 years after.
• The machine wasn't called Christopher - Referred to as 'The Bomb'.
• The Government didn't know what they were signing for - Secret Service, just 'sign the bloody cheque'.
• Things are included in the film for dramatic effect.

4. What's it like to be Alan Turing's nephew?

• 'Horrendous but great!'
• Gets people asking strange questions, hard to find a way of politely turning them down.