Rachel Hassall uncovers the real story behind The Imitation Game
A look behind the scenes
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In October 2013, Black Bear Pictures arrived at Sherborne School to shoot scenes for The Imitation Game. The set and costume designers were keen to make the film as visually authentic as possible and made extensive use of the School archives. But certain aspects of the screenplay were not quite as accurate. So, what is the real story behind The Imitation Game? Our archives contain material relating to the history of the school and many of our former pupils. Between 1965 and 1967 Alan Turing’s mother donated to Sherborne School and King’s College, Cambridge material relating to his life and career. It is because of Mrs Turing’s foresight and generosity that today we know so much about her son. In a scene shot on the Girls’ School playing fields, Christopher Morcom gives Alan a copy of Professor Scott’s Guide to Codes and Ciphers. Scott’s book does not actually exist, but we do know that Turing was interested in cryptography and ciphers when he was at Sherborne. In November
1928, the library loans register records ‘A. Turing’ borrowing a copy of W.W. Rouse Ball’s Mathematical Recreations and Essays, published in 1892. As he sat reading this book in the Upper Library, the 16-year old Turing would have had no idea that just 12 years later he would be involved in the very code-breaking work it describes. “I don’t speak German,” Turing announces in the film. But this is only partially true. In fact, Turing studied German at Sherborne under G.J.B. Watkins, though it is worth noting that the teacher said of him: “He does not seem to have an aptitude for language.”
There is a further twist to this story. During the Second World War, Watkins worked in military intelligence and his son believes that he would have seen many of the Ultra messages decoded by the Turing machine, without ever realising that his former pupil was responsible for deciphering them.
In another less-thanfactual scene from the movie, Commander Denniston accuses Turing of being an isolated loner with no attachment to friends or family. However, this is not the Turing who emerges from our archives. In his last School report the Headmaster wrote that Turing was “A gifted and distinguished boy, whose future career we shall watch with much interest. I have found him pleasant and friendly and I believe that he has justified his appointment as a School Prefect.” When Turing left Sherborne in 1931 his housemaster wrote to him saying “I will guarantee that Turing will be a household name until the present generation has disappeared.” Thanks to the Turing Archive and films such as The Imitation Game, this prediction has come true, in emphatic style.
For further information about Alan Turing visit the Sherborne School Archives online collection page: http://oldshirburnian.org. uk/school-archives/onlinecollections/#alanturing