Alan Turing was NOT driven to suicide after his conviction for 'homosexual acts' nor did he play such a vital role at Bletchley Park, insists his own nephew

  • Dermot Turing said his uncle Alan Turing was not 'hounded to death by the state'
  • He said his 'mood had lifted' days before he died by cyanide poisoning in 1954
  • Dermot told literature festival that The Imitation Game film perpetuated myths

Alan Turing's nephew has claimed the idea that his code-breaker uncle was 'hounded to death by the state' and took his own life because he was convicted for being gay is all part of a long-standing myth. 

Dermot Turing also suggested that he was not a 'great codebreaker' who was essential to Bletchley Park, as portrayed in the hit 2014 film The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley

In the film, Turing was struggling to cope mentally following his conviction for 'homosexual offences' in 1952 before killing himself two years later.  

But his nephew says that evidence shows his 'mood had lifted' in the two years after his trial as he completed projects with enthusiasm.

The Imitation Game also show Turing desperately battling to crack codes at Bletchley Park during much of World War Two, while in reality he had left the famous code-cracking HQ by 1939, at the beginning of the war.  

These two defining features of the movie, among others, have come under fire from his nephew who said such portrayals only help to perpetuate myths and that his uncle would have been 'made sick' by the repeated focus on his trial and time at Bletchley.

He pleaded for a greater focus on Turing's role as the father of modern computing and artificial intelligence after his mathematics machine known as a 'bombe' helped crack the Enigma Code and led to the development of modern computers.  

Turing is considered a gay icon for how he bravely lived an open life despite homosexuality being illegal at the time - before becoming the first gay man to feature on a UK bank note when he was named the new face of the £50 note in 2019. 

Unfortunately, while alive, he was convicted of gross indecency for his relationship with a man before choosing to be chemically castrated over going to jail. 

Despite this, his nephew claims evidence from Turing's archives suggest he had returned to his 'normal self' days after his trial ended and that his 'mood had lifted' just days before he took his own life by poisoning himself with cyanide in 1954 - which Dermot believes could have been over 'boyfriend trouble'. 

'It is trite and simplistic to assume that because he was convicted and put on this hormone treatment and took his own life within two years of that happening that these two things were causally related,' he told The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Dermot Turing suggested his uncle Alan Turing (pictured) was not a 'great codebreaker' who was essential to Bletchley Park, as portrayed in the hit 2014 film The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Dermot Turing suggested his uncle Alan Turing (pictured) was not a 'great codebreaker' who was essential to Bletchley Park, as portrayed in the hit 2014 film The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Hollywood version: Keira Knightley, Matthew Beard, Matthew Goode, Benedict Cumberbatch and Allen Leech (pictured from left to right) in The Imitation Game

Hollywood version: Keira Knightley, Matthew Beard, Matthew Goode, Benedict Cumberbatch and Allen Leech (pictured from left to right) in The Imitation Game

Dermot Turing (pictured) said portrayals like The Imitation Game only help to perpetuate the myth and that his uncle would have been 'made sick' by the repeated focus on his trial and time at Bletchley - pleading for his wider influence on mathematics to be his legacy instead.

Dermot Turing (pictured) said portrayals like The Imitation Game only help to perpetuate the myth and that his uncle would have been 'made sick' by the repeated focus on his trial and time at Bletchley - pleading for his wider influence on mathematics to be his legacy instead.

Alan Turing created the British Bombe - one of the main methods used at Bletchley Park (pictured) to break Germany's Enigma-enciphered messages during the Second World War

Alan Turing created the British Bombe - one of the main methods used at Bletchley Park (pictured) to break Germany's Enigma-enciphered messages during the Second World War

The Enigma enciphering machine (pictured) was believed to be unbreakable as the cipher changed continuously

The Enigma enciphering machine (pictured) was believed to be unbreakable as the cipher changed continuously 

World War II codebreaker Alan Turing was revealed as the new face on the £50 note, which entered into circulation in June 2021 (pictured)

World War II codebreaker Alan Turing was revealed as the new face on the £50 note, which entered into circulation in June 2021 (pictured)

Eight myths and falsehoods about WWII code-breaker Alan Turing which feature in The Imitation Game film starring Benedict Cumberbatch 

Turing was secretive about being gay: In the film, Turing hides his sexuality as though it was a very closely guarded secret. In real life, Turing was open with his friends and colleagues and was known to flirt with other men. 

In playing Turing Cumberbatch (pictured) is far more secretive about his sexuality than the real Turing was

In playing Turing Cumberbatch (pictured) is far more secretive about his sexuality than the real Turing was 

Turing built his code-breaking machine on his own: The Imitation Game film starring Benedict Cumberbatch suggests Alan Turing singlehandedly built and designed the British Bombe machine which cracked the Germans' Enigma code. In reality, Polish mathematicians created a predecessor to the Bombe and Alan Turing created a newer version which could crack codes faster - he also had help from mathematician Gordon Welchman on the design, although he never featured in the film.  

Benedict Cumberbatch's Turing was shown to have created the code-breaking machine Bombe singlehandedly - which was not true

Benedict Cumberbatch's Turing was shown to have created the code-breaking machine Bombe singlehandedly - which was not true 

Turing's suicide was wrongly linked to his trial and chemical castration in The Imitation Game

Turing's suicide was wrongly linked to his trial and chemical castration in The Imitation Game 

Turing killed himself due to chemical castration: Alan Turing is widely believed to have killed himself because he was convicted for 'homosexual acts' and chemically castrated. The film also draws a clear parallel between the two. But Alan Turing's nephew Dermot Turing claims his uncle's mood had 'lifted' in the days before his death. He believes he may have taken his own life over 'boyfriend trouble.' Turing also died 14 months after the hormone treatment ended and finished projects with enthusiasm during that time.  

Turing would not have ever met John Cairncross, let alone worked with him (Pictured: Cumberbatch as Turing while, right, Allen Leech as Cairncross)

Turing would not have ever met John Cairncross, let alone worked with him (Pictured: Cumberbatch as Turing while, right, Allen Leech as Cairncross) 

Turing failed to report a colleague for espionage: In The Imitation Game, Alan Turing does not report spy John Cairncross who was working for the Soviets because he threatens to out Turing as gay if he does so. In reality, while Cairncross was part of a British spy ring, he and Turing worked on separate projects and would never have met each other.

Turing was never suspected of espionage when he was quizzed by police (Pictured: Police interrogation in The Imitation Game)

Turing was never suspected of espionage when he was quizzed by police (Pictured: Police interrogation in The Imitation Game)

Turing was suspected of being a spy: The idea that Turing could have been a Soviet spy is given as the reason police pursue him at the end of the film. But in real life, Turing was never under suspicion of espionage. 

Turing was not as awkward as portrayed in the film (Pictured: Cumberbatch as Turing dancing with Keira Knightley, who played Joan Clarke)

Turing was not as awkward as portrayed in the film (Pictured: Cumberbatch as Turing dancing with Keira Knightley, who played Joan Clarke)

Turing had poor social skills: Benedict Cumberbatch’s depiction of Turing suggested he was on the Autism spectrum and struggled socialising - claiming to not know what a joke is. But while Turing was undeniably eccentric and preferred to work alone, his pals described him as funny, warm, and charming. Children liked him too. 

 

Turing created the famous Bletchley crossword: The Imitation Game shows Turing creating the famous Bletchley Park crossword puzzle which was used to recruit code-breakers. The truth is that Turing had nothing to do with the creation of the Bletchley crossword, and he once admitted that he was 'not much use at them.' 

Film producers are said to have added more red wires to Turing's machine in The Imitation Game

Film producers are said to have added more red wires to Turing's machine in The Imitation Game 

Turing called his machine Christopher: Turing, played by Cumberbatch, also calls his code-breaking machine 'Christopher' - after a childhood crush who had died. But the machine was actually called the Bombe - and was never dubbed Christopher by Turing. The film is also said to have added more red wires to the device. 

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'They are not. If you look at the documentary evidence it is quite clear that by the time Alan was off the hormone treatment, his mood was lifted and he was back to being his normal self and in fact he was probably back to being his normal self within days of the trial finishing. 

'He was quite defiant and positive about the whole thing.'

Alan Turing created the British Bombe - one of the main methods used to break Germany's Enigma-enciphered messages during the Second World War.

The Enigma enciphering machine was believed to be unbreakable as the cipher changed continuously.

But Turing was able to build a computer capable of cracking the code faster, with the first wartime Enigma messages broken in January 1940.

Enigma traffic continued to be broken routinely at Bletchley Park for the remainder of the war - which experts believe helped shorten the fighting by two years. 

But his nephew, author of Reflections of Alan Turing and other titles relating to his uncle, said there was also mythologising about the mathematician's role at Bletchley.

He said it was Polish codebreakers who provided the basis for the cracking of the German machine, and that unlike what was portrayed in The Imitation Game, his uncle's Bombe creation was 'in the hands of engineers by 1939 and delivered to Bletchley Park in 1940'.  

He said: 'It didn't work too well but by the time of the Battle of Britain they had a souped-up version.

'Turing's main work at Bletchley Park was done by 1939 before Britain was really at war.'

In The Imitation Game, Alan Turing is shown singlehandedly inventing and physically building the machine, which was simply untrue. 

As his nephew explained, a predecessor of the Bombe was actually invented by Polish cryptanalysts. 

But Alan Turing was able to design a new machine that broke the Enigma code faster by looking for likely letter combinations and ruling out combinations that were unlikely to yield results. 

He also developed the improved machine with the help of fellow mathematician Gordon Welchman, who helped him with the design. He was also left out of the film.   

When a coroner ruled that Alan Turing had died by suicide, Dermot said his own father John created a conspiracy to reassure his mother, Ethel, that he had not taken his own life.  

Dermot does believe his uncle killed himself, rejecting the theory that he accidentally poisoned himself with the chemicals he had been using to gold-plate spoons.   

However, while in discussion with mathematical biologist Natasha Ellisson, Dermot said his theory is that it could have been over 'boyfriend trouble' rather than stemming from his trial and conviction.   

Ms Ellisson said Alan Turing's works on 'patterns in natures' were still influencing contemporary research, prompting his nephew to say that he would prefer his uncle's legacy to be about his wider mathematical insights. 

He added: 'I would really like Alan Turing's legacy to be about not this sort of sepia-tinted "oh we feel very proud of ourselves having won World War Two by codebreaking, not by actually shooting people". 

'Well that is nonsense isn't it.

'Alan Turing would have been made sick by this focus on his trial and the Bletchley Park thing, which I am sure he was very proud of . . . but it was just a tiny part of his life and wasn't his career.' 

Turing is also widely seen as the father of computer science and artificial intelligence due to his groundbreaking work in mathematics in the 1930s.

He was able to prove a 'universal computing machine' would be able to perform equations if they were presented as an algorithm - and had a paper published on the subject in 1936 in the Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society Journal when he was aged just 23. 

He laid the foundations for work on artificial intelligence by considering the question of whether machines could think. 

Turing also played a pivotal role in the development of early computers first at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and later at the University of Manchester. 

While at the NPL, his design for the Automatic Computing Engine, or ACE, would have been the first and most advanced computer the world had seen at that time. 

But his colleagues did not share his vision and were concerned that the engineering was too complex and decided to build a much smaller pilot ACE instead. 

Their rivals at Manchester University beat them to it, prompting Turing to join them as deputy director. He also wrote the first programming manual.

David Leslie of the Alan Turing Institute previously said: 'What we really don't realise is how this moment and Turing's vision changed the entire world. 

'Before this, literally nobody in the world had imagined that a single machine could apply countless strings of abstract symbols. 

'Now we know them as programmes.' 

As a result of his groundbreaking work, in 2019 Turing was revealed as the new face of the £50 note at a conference at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester - making him the first gay man to ever appear on a British bank note. 

It came after the Bank of England asked the public to nominate a person with a historic scientific contribution for the new note.

Governor Mark Carney revealed Turing was chosen from a list of 989 candidates put forward in more than 220,000 nominations.   

The new polymer £50 note entered circulation in June of this year.   

It features a quote from Turing, given in an interview to the Times newspaper on June 11, 1949, reading: 'This is only a foretaste of what is to come, and only the shadow of what is going to be. 

Dermot does believe his uncle (pictured) killed himself, rejecting the theory that he accidentally poisoned himself with the chemicals he had been using to gold-plate spoons
Dermot Turing said it was Polish codebreakers who provided the basis for the cracking of the German machine, and that unlike what was portrayed in The Imitation Game, his uncle's Bombe creation was 'in the hands of engineers by 1939 and delivered to Bletchley Park in 1940' (Pictured: Alan Turing)

Dermot Turing said it was Polish codebreakers who provided the basis for the cracking of the German machine, and that unlike what was portrayed in The Imitation Game, his uncle's Bombe creation was 'in the hands of engineers by 1939 and delivered to Bletchley Park in 1940' (Pictured: Alan Turing) 

Enigma traffic continued to be broken routinely at Bletchley Park (pictured) for the remainder of the war

Enigma traffic continued to be broken routinely at Bletchley Park (pictured) for the remainder of the war 

Alan Turing - a gay icon: How code-breaker who refused to keep secret his sexuality was posthumously pardoned by Queen 

Giant LGBT+ inspired artwork unveiled to celebrate Turing by GCHQ

Giant LGBT+ inspired artwork unveiled to celebrate Turing by GCHQ 

Alan Turing was an accomplished mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, physicist, and biologist.

Often dubbed the father of the modern day computer, his work on the Enigma-code cracking machine for Bletchley Park is credited with saving millions of lives by helping bring an end to World War Two. 

US Captain Jerry Roberts is quoted as saying: 'Without him – we would have lost the war.'

But Turing was also gay at a time when it was still deemed illegal. 

Despite that, he lived his life openly and was not afraid to make advances towards men. 

That was despite the fact that he could still be arrested and thrown in jail for 'homosexual offences' - thanks to the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, which made any male homosexual act illegal – whether or not a witness was present – meaning that even acts committed in private could be prosecuted. 

Often a letter expressing terms of affection between two men was all that was required to bring a prosecution.  

Turing was arrested in 1952 and punished for his sexual orientation by the same government he served - before being forced to receive chemical castration instead of going of prison. 

Despite such maltreatment, he continued his work for two more years, finishing projects with enthusiasm - before tragically dying by suicide in 1954. 

The Queen pardoned Turing in 2013 before he became the first ever gay man to feature on a British bank note - the £50 note - in 2019. 

GCHQ unveiled in June this year a 10m x 10m artwork which features the iconic image of Turing inside ‘drums’ from the British Bombe machine. 

Skylar, Head of GCHQ’s Pride Network said: 'Alan Turing is a role model for many here at GCHQ and a global icon as an LGBT+ person in the field of science and technology.  

'I am proud to see GCHQ recognising the importance Alan Turing has for LGBT+ people.'

It is for his sheer bravery in the face of state-sanctioned discrimination - as well as his incredible achievements both in the war effort and outside of it - that he will always be deemed a gay British icon. 

 

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Turing was chosen following the Bank's character selection process which included advice from scientific experts.

In February 2019 he was crowned the most iconic figure of the 20th century - beating other finalists including Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King.

The celebrated scientist was chosen by the public in a live broadcast of BBC Two's Icons: The Greatest Person Of The 20th Century.

After Turing's name was announced, presenter Nick Robinson said: 'He was a man who worked almost entirely in secret, who received little credit for cracking the Nazi codes and shortening the war and who died having been branded a criminal.

'Today he is the most celebrated figure of the 20th century - a father of computing, war hero and genius.'

Chris Packham, who backed Turing, said at the time: 'Alan Turing's genius brought Britain back from the brink during WWII. 

'While he was punished for being different, his work celebrated diversity. Under the circumstances, that makes him truly iconic.' 

Turing lived his life openly and was not afraid to make advances towards men. 

That was despite the fact that he could still be arrested and thrown in jail for 'homosexual offences' - thanks to the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, which made any male homosexual act illegal – whether or not a witness was present – meaning that even acts committed in private could be prosecuted. 

Often a letter expressing terms of affection between two men was all that was required to bring a prosecution. It was the same law used to arrest famed author Oscar Wilde.  

The Queen pardoned Turing in 2013 before he became the first ever gay man to feature on a British bank note - the £50 note - in 2019. 

GCHQ unveiled in June this year a 10m x 10m artwork, created by specialist 3D artist Joe Hill in consultation with staff from its Pride network, which features the iconic image of Turing inside ‘drums’ from the British Bombe, the machine designed by Turing to break Enigma-enciphered messages during the Second World War.

The artwork, which also features hidden codes, will later be donated to a number of organisations chosen by the secret service's Pride network.

Skylar, Head of GCHQ’s Pride Network said: 'Alan Turing is a role model for many here at GCHQ and a global icon as an LGBT+ person in the field of science and technology. 

'Though we should never forget the tragedy of his life being cut short, we should always endeavour to learn from his legacy and create a safer and better future for LGBT+ people. 

'I am proud to see GCHQ recognising the importance Alan Turing has for LGBT+ people, owning its shared history with our community and doing so in such a public and bold way.' 

Director GCHQ Sir Jeremy Fleming said: 'Alan Turing was a genius who helped to shorten the war and influence the technology that still shapes our lives today. 

'He was embraced for his brilliance but persecuted for being gay. 

'Turing’s legacy reminds us every day that diversity is essential and inclusion is mission critical to our organisation. 

'His appearance on the £50 note is an important moment in ours and this country’s history. 

'Turing was and remains a beacon of hope for all who dare to live and think differently.'

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