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Former Bletchley Park codebreaker turns 100

Jack Hadaway-WellerScarborough
News imageBBC A woman is seated in a high‑backed, light‑coloured armchair upholstered in what appears to be leather or faux leather. The person is positioned slightly to the right side of the frame and faces the camera directly. She has short, light grey hair and is wearing a light‑coloured, buttoned shirt with narrow vertical stripes. A dark, soft-looking garment or blanket is draped around the shoulders and upper arms. The person’s hands rest near the lap or armrest area. Directly in front of the seated person, resting on a low surface or table, is a round cake placed on a clear plastic tray. The cake is decorated with piped cream around the top edge. Several curved chocolate pieces and small decorative elements are arranged evenly along the top. A gold decorative topper is placed in the centre of the cake. The topper contains readable text that says “Happy 100th Birthday”, with star shapes incorporated into the design.BBC
Elva Willgrass was joined by her relatives for the celebration

A former beauty queen who worked as a teleprinter operator at Bletchley Park has marked her 100th with a party and a letter from the King.

Elva Willgrass, worked at the site where Alan Turing cracked the Nazi's Enigma code during World War Two.

Originally from Morecambe but now living in Scarborough, she was presented with the commemorative letter by North Yorkshire's deputy lieutenant John Senior at St Bernadette's Nursing Home alongside her family.

When asked what it was like to reach the milestone she replied: "I don't feel any different."

News imageSupplied The image is a black-and-white studio photograph. There are seven people standing side by side, facing the camera. The arrangement is symmetrical: One woman stands at the centre slightly forward, wearing a layered, floor-length light-coloured outfit. The man immediately to the left of the central figure wears a dark suit with a tie. The remaining five people wear similar long dresses with matching patterns. All individuals are standing upright with composed posture, holding floral bouquets except for the person in the dark suit.Supplied
Elva married her husband Alfred Willgrass in 1948

Elva's son Anthony Willgrass, 73, travelled from Jersey for the celebration.

"For her to make a hundred is incredible," he said.

"Her mother was a seamstress and she used to have the best clothes in Morecambe - she became Miss Morecambe, I think on two occasions."

News imageA woman is seated in a high‑backed, light‑coloured armchair upholstered in what appears to be leather or faux leather. The person is positioned slightly to the right side of the frame and faces the camera directly. She has short, light grey hair and is wearing a light‑coloured, buttoned shirt with narrow vertical stripes. A dark, soft-looking garment or blanket is draped around the shoulders and upper arms. She is smiling and receiving a card with a picture of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on.
Every British national who turns 100 can get a card from the King and Queen Consort

He said his mother had worked at Bletchley Park in the 1940s.

More than 1,000 women worked at the top-secret communications base during World War Two as "teleprinter operators" on more than 60 different machines which were used to send and receive messages.

Despite working there over 80 years ago, her son said she still keep what happened there a secret.

"She didn't really use to ever discuss it," he said.

"[But] we are proud of her though and the work she did."

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