A British algae expert who had an unlikely role in defeating the Germans during the Second World War is once again in the spotlight, thanks to a viral Twitter thread.
The story of Geoffrey Tandy, a biologist who was mistaken for a codebreaker and sent to work with the team of famed cryptographers at Bletchley Park, has become a Twitter “moment.”
Florence Schechter, who describes herself as a “science communicator and comedian,” re-told Tandy’s story in the most 2018 way possible: in a dozen tweets accompanied by GIFs.
Let me tell you a story about how a typo helped end World War Two... (thread) pic.twitter.com/HxismWwlzE
— Florence Schechter (@floschechter) April 9, 2018
Schechter’s history lesson has been re-tweeted and “liked” thousands of times. When another Twitter user replied that he doesn’t even care whether the story is true, Schechter provided links to historical references.
According to a 2014 article published by the U.K.’s Natural History Museum, Geoffrey Tandy was a cryptogamist – “an expert in non-flowering, spore-reproducing plants like seaweeds, mosses and ferns” – who worked at the Museum for over a decade, starting in 1926.
But during the Second World War, the Ministry of Defence confused his title with a cryptogramist, or a codebreaker. So Tandy, who had enlisted as a volunteer with the Royal Navy Reserves, was sent to Bletchley Park and asked to help crack the code of the German Naval Enigma machine.
The year was 1939. Geoffrey Tandy, a Brit who at the time was working for @NHM_London, signs up to volunteer with the Royal Navy Reserves (@RNReserve). pic.twitter.com/Zh1DYST393
— Florence Schechter (@floschechter) April 9, 2018
The Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) saw his papers and was all like "WOAH! This guy is the best cryptogramist in the world! Send him to @bletchleypark THIS INSTANT!" pic.twitter.com/hDdKTwA9GC
— Florence Schechter (@floschechter) April 9, 2018
They show him the enigma machine and are like "dude, you gotta help us crack it - you're the best cryptogrammist in all of the UK!". And poor Geoff is like "this is super awks, I'm a cryptoGAMMIST not a cryptoGRAMMIST. I'm not a specialist in codes, I'm a specialist in algae..." pic.twitter.com/tJymArsZ1k
— Florence Schechter (@floschechter) April 9, 2018
Poor Geoff does nothing for TWO YEARS. Probably sitting on the grass and looking Alan Turing's butt which I assume was da bomb. pic.twitter.com/S2LYzqxc6d
— Florence Schechter (@floschechter) April 9, 2018
UNTIL 1941.... when the allies torpedoed a German U-boat and managed to salvage a load of documents including a BIGRAM TABLE (!!!) which is like super duper important because they show how to unscramble messages through the enigma machine! pic.twitter.com/fTdGkZ94IN
— Florence Schechter (@floschechter) April 9, 2018
And that’s how Tandy finally got to use his biology expertise in a major British intelligence operation. Based on his experience working with wet plant specimens, he knew how to restore the messages written on water-damaged paper.
If it weren't for him, Benedict Cumberbatch's lookalike Alan Turing wouldn't have been able to do his thang. GO TANDY!
— Florence Schechter (@floschechter) April 9, 2018
So a big up to scientists in unexpected places. And if anyone ever tells you off for a typo, tell them his story. pic.twitter.com/LVmY1MGU2A