The Road to Station X: From Debutante Ball to Fighter-Plane Factory to Bletchley Park, a Memoir of One Woman's Journey Through World War Two

by Sarah Baring

In 1938, Sarah Baring was enjoying life as a young debutante. Only a few years later, at the height of World War Two, she was working alongside some of the greatest minds of Britain in their code-breaking operations at Bletchley Park.

How did she end up in the top-secret world of cyphers and codes?

And what did she do within the confines of Bletchley’s Hut 4 that allowed the British Navy to be always one step ahead of their foes?

Like many young men and women across all levels of British society, the outbreak of war in 1939 dramatically altered the course of Sarah’s life.

Knowing that she could not stand by while others were enlisting, she left her position in Vogue magazine and signed up to work as a telephonist at an Air Raid Precautions Centre before working in a fighter plane factory to do her bit. The women that she worked alongside were unlike those she had known in her high society life and opened her eyes to a completely different world.

Yet, after just a few months, she was requested to leave the factory behind and was thrust into the world of intelligence, code-breaking and huge computers, rubbing shoulders with awkward geniuses like Alan Turing.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Biography, World War II, Audiobook, Historical

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2020

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult time for all: especially the civilian population. Sarah Baring does not try to paper over that, yet still, provides us with an enviable, fun read.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it wasn't for the fact that I could verify the history of Miss Sarah Baring, I suggest it would be too easy to think of this as a comedy: take someone from their comfort zone and put them in an environment that they've no idea of.
Miss Baring's parents were wealthy, not just plain old ordinary wealthy, they were rich, rich, rich. Daddy was a Viscount, a Baron, a Duke, or some such noble (basically had lunch once a week with the King. Mum moved in the same circles.
Along comes the war with Nazi Germany and the parents tell young Sarah she can sit this one out with auntie in a rather well-to-do mansion in the Scottish hills.
Having never done a day's work in her life, Sarah opts for helping out with the war effort. I'm not saying one word of what she gets up to but, she finds her way from one job to another before ending up at Station X (the most secret place in the whole of the British Isles). Now, for you to get a job at the most secret place in Britain, you have to be vetted. A good number of young belles found work at Station X and so the personnel department (Human Resources today) had their work cut out. Once you get a tick in the box, your file is flung on the good-to-go pile and almost certainly forgotten.
Young Sarah is beavering away at her job and the guy in charge of the war effort, the top-man, wanders in. He's surrounded by the entourage, making certain everyone follows the well-rehearsed script, after all, this guy is royalty. He has other plans and sidles up to Miss Baring wanting a quiet word in her lug-hole. I leave you to work it out. It's a blast.
I laughed and laughed my way from the front cover to the back cover. What would I have done? The whole world is at my feet. Once the war is over, I've got all the money in the world, I can gad around to my hearts content. It might be good idea to spend the next few years away from the bombs and the bullets.
I have nothing but admiration for the lady. And a lady she was.
A brilliant read.

[Gisela · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing tale.

A real hoot.

Goodreads should add another genre to their list (I stealing this from Beth): 'The Girl done Good'.

This has to be one of the best. I enjoyed every bit of this.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read. The only reason for four (as opposed to five) stars is that it doesn't go as far into the details as I would have wanted. That's probably unfair; the Official Secrets Act probably put some serious restrictions on what she could write.

The book is really quite good, and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in either Bletchley Park or how WW II affected individuals in Great Britain; both stories are here, though (as previously mentioned) in less detail than I would have liked.

[Poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Giggle.

Beth, my new friend, suggested I read from the genre, she describes as: 'The Girl Done Good.' Then gave me a list of books: this was in our library.
It's a giggle from start to finish. All through it, I kept thinking, 'If only that could be me.'
She is from a privileged background and I'm sure she could have sat out the war somewhere far safer. And privilege does open doors, but the girl, okay with a few friends, gets herself a job in factory. From there it becomes a real adventure and is so full of laughter.
She gets herself a job with the codebreakers at Bletchley Park. Unbeknownst to her, one day her godfather comes to visit. Amazing, don't you think? They wouldn't let any old Tom, Dick or Harry in there would they? Good job her godfather had a few connections: being, Vice Admiral, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations, might have helped.
The next day she gets a talking to from her boss, demanding to know how she had secretly arranged for him to visit the hut she was working in (it had knocked the carefully timed visit off the rails). In tears she explained, he was her godfather and she knew nothing about his visit.
That made me laugh so much.
I do so enjoy this. I even put it under my pillow before sleep.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A joy to read.

Great fun.

[Martin Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the read.

I admire the 'gal' and do believe, yes it was a serious time, without that calibre of person we would have found ourselves in a far worst pickle.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth keeping. A book I could read over and over. I love the idea that she was a girl of her own mind and back in those days she may well, have been secretly admired whilst at the same time seen as a disrupter.

[Zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire her. It's difficult enough now. Back then! You have to ignore the position of her family, she kept that under wraps. Girls with the sense to keep their feet on the ground, but still show pluck. Good on her.

Great fun to read.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything that can be said about this tremendously, titillating tale, I'd wager is already on the board.

It's a hoot - and 'the girl done good'.

She didn't spy for the Allies in occupied Europe at risk of torture and or death, but heck, not everyone is cut out for that (including me).

What a girl: reading about her, thinking about her, brings a smile to my face.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 bk 56. A thoroughly enjoyable memoir of about 8 years of Sarah Baring's life. The daughter of the director of Pinewood Studios, Sarah was sent in 1938 to learn German in Germany, being near Munich, the young teenager and her friends took exception to Hitler whom they would encounter at a local restaurant. After several acts of vandalism of Nazi headquarters on their part, they were whisked back to England. These were not her first actions against the anti-semitic leader, but they were the only ones that got her in hot water. Her life during the war years was filled with small adventures, some deprivations, hard work, and then a job that stretched her brain in way she didn't imagine it could have been stretched. An amazing story and a book I will keep.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It was almost like reading someone’s diary but only better. I thought it did end abruptly and I think it could have gone on a few more chapters. I did enjoy the book regardless and definitely recommend to WW2 historical fiction fans
Thanks to Sapere for the early copy

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story that I'll read again and again. A book for bedtime. A book for lying in the sun. A book for travelling.

I chuckled my way through her story.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘When I was seventeen my parents sent me to Munich in Germany for further education and to learn the language.’

Little did Sarah Baring then know how important her knowledge of German would become. Sarah Kathleen Elinor Baring (20 January 1920 – 4 February 2013) was an English socialite who worked for three years as a linguist at Bletchley Park, the principal centre of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War. In 1938, she was enjoying her life as a debutante. But when war broke out in 1939, she wanted to do her bit for the war effort. First, after leaving a position with Vogue, she worked as a telephonist at an Air Raid Precautions Centre, then she worked in a factory and helped build airplanes. But then, because Intelligence were seeking German-speaking staff, Sarah, and her friend Osla were tested and then selected for employment at Bletchley Park.

‘You are to report to Station X at Bletchley Park.’

In this book, Sarah Baring provides a firsthand account of life in the UK during World War II. While I was most interested in her account of working at Bletchley Park, the book is made more interesting by the context she provides. Food rationing and accommodation shortages presented challenges, but Ms Baring mentions this as a matter of fact and as something that applied to all.

I have been reading a lot about World War II recently, and Ms Baring’s firsthand account provided a different and interesting perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a well-written personal account of life in the UK during World War II.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hoot and definitely fireside, glass of wine, entertainment.

[Cora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep calm and carry on.

Keep calm and keep a sense of humour.

Keep a brew close to hand and enjoy this tale.

[Des · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…One Woman's Journey Through World War Two ” is an apt description for part of the title of this book.
This is quite a detailed personal history of Sarah Baring’s amazing story and the historical context of the period.
The writing style was very easy to read and the interest level extremely high.
This historical biography creates a narrative and brings together themes that explains some of the events she experienced and the related problems and issues that she faced.
It was quite fascinating and I felt that I wanted to know much more. How I would have loved to meet the author and hear her talk candidly.
This book is quite wonderful in this regard.
The author spares us detail of technical issues, tactical military details and political discussion.
She concentrates on her experience and what she went through and does not dwell on the tragic or melancholy.
Sarah Baring presents and amazing stoicism, wisdom and compassion.
The book is uplifting to read, well written and enjoyable.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an honour to read this beautiful true account of a British heroine in her own right, Sarah Baring. entirely captivating and enthralling! Reading experiences like this is what learning is all about. This book is such a joy.

Little did Sarah Baring know when she was 17 and lived temporarily in Germany that learning the language would pay dividends in her future. She grew up in a privileged aristocratic home and at 18 was a debutante with silk dresses and gloves but life changed dramatically in 1939 with the threat of war. Suddenly the upper echelon became less important and she found a job in a factory where she became, of all things, a mechanic and helped build airplanes. It was physically demanding work and she wished for something more mentally stimulating. She and her close friend, Osla, worked their way up through the ranks to become code breakers and linguists at Bletchley Park.

Along the way with job placements and promotions came moving and living in different locations which were not exactly palatial. Food rationing began with the war and Sarah, who had feasted on the very best was now saving bits of soap and treasuring fresh food of any kind. She was now able to have only 4 oz of butter a week, for example, so was thrilled to receive food parcels from America which included butter. She was only allowed four gallons of petrol per month. However, the tone of the book was not complaining or whining but matter of fact, definitely not fully of self pity.

Sarah's writing is personal, easy flowing and descriptive. From what I read here it seems she would have been a fascinating person to know. Her historical details are incredible. She wrote about the war with personal hardships, depression and illness but also mention beautiful and fun moments. Her knowledge about airplanes is breathtaking! Code-breaking descriptions are utterly enthralling and something I've wondered about. The Enigma machine was entirely unknown to me...happily, that's changed. I like that she mentioned the cost of things and her salary, too. Plus throughout the book Hitler, Himmler and Goebbels are discussed with their perverse hatred of the Jews which she found abhorrent.

I feel as though I've just had an underground conversation with someone special. Do reach for this wonderful historical true story of one woman's fight in WWII if you are at all interested in the era or code breaking. But it's more than that, too.

My sincere thank you to Sapere Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this remarkable book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

[Mary Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Baring’s memoir and coming of age story is full of jolly japes, and it seems that Sarah, who leads a charmed life of parties and frocks will not be taking life seriously until fate perhaps intervened and it was life that took her seriously. The country was plunged into World War 2.
Easy to warm to her and the light, conversational, sometimes breathless prose that rattles along even after she joins Bletchley.
In Germany at 17 in 1937, to learn the language, not quite adult enough to understand everything but old enough to sense the atmosphere of fear and hostility towards Jews, even if then only in print.
A daring plan emerges to remove the offending newspapers first by smashing glass cases then by cutting through metal grills used as an extra deterrent. She is caught, sent home in disrepute by a British consul still intent on appeasement and her mother is understanding.
She is home in time to be presented at court as a debutante and describes preparations needed for a horse-mad clumsy teenager with humour. Dance classes, frocks and charming indiscretion. She tells losing her knickers before Queen Mary as a child and inviting Fats Waller to play the piano at one of her parties with delightful ignorance of the cost. Delightful ignorance of life except a vague awareness and shame that to have had no work at all till arriving ... might be construed as feckless.
The period of phoney war allowed time for a trip to France with her family, a hair-raising trip back, semi exile in Scotland with grandparents and a squadron of fighter pilots nearby invited to evening meals and delivering letters of thanks by air on to the extensive front lawn.
Returning to London barely three months later to find the iron railings of London’s parks and squares already melted down for munitions. A frivolous period of dancing a parties while young men in uniform wait to go to war, ended when her mother insists she find a job and when the war began in September 1939.
She is recruited to work at Bletchley Park where linguists, boffins and clerks attempt to decode intercepted German messages. All are sworn to secrecy. She recounts the minutiae of life at war in general and particular the work of clerks and translators at Bletchley and their jubilation as ships and lives are saved by their dedication or the desperation on hearing of failed attempts. Her jobs become more and more interesting as she charts her part in Hitler’s downfall relating the war’s milestones and civilian experiences of the home front from the blitz.
Well worth a read.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so enjoyable: a gem. From page one it has you chuckling quietly to yourself.
A neatly put together memoir. If like me, before reading this, you have no idea who Sarah Baring was, I’d strongly advise not to go looking. The book does drip feed the information, but not knowing in the first instance does add to the humour.
In the years just prior to WW2, there’s teenage sabotage on the streets of Munich at midnight. Ingenuity providing opportunity to scowl at Hitler whilst he takes coffee and ice-cream.
You can’t but admire the girl.
The book, for sure, centres on a very serious subject and the young lady in question plays a vital part in that serious work.
Quartered with an imminent professor from Cambridge, who seems a little stuffy, she rigs a gramophone, she’s hidden under his bed, to play classical music in the early hours of the morn.
I couldn’t put in down. I read while cooking and eating.
Whilst busy at work in Station X (Bletchley Park) with the code-breakers, along comes ‘Vice Admiral, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations. He was accompanied by a lot of Top Brass and harassed-looking Bletchley staff.’
“Uncle Dickie, what are you doing here?”
“I knew you were here and thought I would see how you are getting on.”
At times she was as much at risk from the bombers and the V-Rockets as any other Londoner and she could have easily spent the war safe and secure, in the splendour of a Scottish estate.
Having read about how her mother spent the war years and then found out who her mother actually was, I tipped my hat.
This book will provide you with a sure understanding of why you must put on clean underwear before you leave the house.
A great book.

[S Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was inspired to read this after the Rose Code, it’s good but not nearly as good as that one, her writing is not the best but then the author is not an author?!! It’s a memoir! And what a busy and fascinating period of time for Sarah Baring. Not sure she would have got these jobs in high places without her status and family background, but I’ll put that to one side. She certainly did her bit in the war and hats off to her for that and documenting it in such an entertaining way. I still intend to visit BP sometime soon!

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polly Lee is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel.

3 stars, and recommended.

[Maria Pritchett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have admittedly read very few memoirs. Despite this, I can confidently say that Sarah Baring’s (née Norton) is fascinating. She is both factual and witty while telling the her story of the war that inevitably changed the very fabric of the world we live in. I have to absolutely commend her for that. I was incredibly impressed and entertained by this book. 4.25/5.

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't fault it. A lovely story of those on the home front doing their bit. Miss Baring was on of the country's elite and could so easily have sat it out. She didn't and, because of willingness, we have a great bedtime story.

[Han Preston]

I wanted to read this after seeing it was (part of) the inspiration for The Rose Code by Alice Quinn, which I loved. I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed this memoir if I hadn’t read the Rose Code first as it’s quite bitty, but it’s so interesting. What a life!

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This documents British debutante Sara Baring’s WWII experiences working with Bletchley Park’s highly secret code breaking operations which led to the defeat of the Nazis. Wanting to do something for the war effort, Sara leaves her cushy job at Vogue magazine and finds Bletchley Park (or it finds her). Because of her extensive diaries, she relates authentic events as she works her way up from the drudgery of filing to the nail-biting excitement of the highest levels of the code breakers.
This is a great companion book to Kate Quinn’s acclaimed historical fiction novel on the same topic. Many of the characters, particularly Olsla, are shared in both books, giving a whole new level of credibility to Quinn’s work.
Baring also details many of the maneuvers and battles that were fought, causing her book to appeal to a broader audience.

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone who doesn't seem to be a professional writer, I think Baring did a really nice job. I misread the subtitle at first and didn't realize that she was authoring her own story, a fact which excited me once I realized. It wasn't easy to read, since it didn't follow any particular narrative structure; besides going generally in chronological order, Baring writes short vignettes that are more like diary entries, as they cover whatever topic she deemed worthy. Maybe someone approaching this with a research lens would enjoy it more - I, reading for enjoyment, found it hard to jump around and always wanted more of Baring's humor and details on codebreaking (part of why I loved The Rose Code, which used this for inspiration)! Overall, I think this book's real strength is the way it shows small, overlooked parts of the war - like the anxiety of holding government secrets as a normal civilian, constantly worried you'd get too chatty while drunk and accidentally commit treason! It puts into perspective all of the human details beyond wartime dates and numbers. While I would have happily read a book full of Baring's own experiences, stories, and antics, it is still great to read about so much historical detail from a first-person perspective.

Content warning for mentions of war, assassination, suicide, antisemitism, torture, death, mental health, and sexism.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This incredible story made the huge, complex, world-changing World War II feel very personal, real, and relevant. It’s the story of one woman’s experience from just before the war broke out through its end, from riveting plane parts through to her experience working at Bletchley Park. The writing is precise, clear, and compelling. Her descriptions of the sights and sounds of air raids and bombings, the behaviour of everyday people doing their best to survive, and the realities of living on rations so clearly painted a picture of what life was like on a personal level at the time within the broader context of war. This book is an incredible snapshot of history, well told. (My one minor gripe is that the contributions of the Americans was mentioned several times, but Canada was only mentioned as a place that a cellar full of maple syrup came from and where distant relatives were sent.) I loved this book and would gladly read it again.

[Suze Prescot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible Memoir

Having read Kate Quinn's, The Rose Code, and seeing this memoir as a recommendation, knowing that the writer features in the thriller, I bought it. And how happy I am to have done so.
Sarah, with a modicum of discretion, reveals her war years as a Bletchley Park girl, and as a young woman in a time of war. It is by turns, amusing, thrilling and informative. She is a breath of fresh air, combining the optimism and enthusiasm of youth, with an understanding of the horror of war. She comments that despite the lack of written evidence - journals were forbidden in case they fell into enemy hands - she has been careful to not write this from the perspective of her present. It works.
A wonderful read, which gives a wonderful snapshot of the work and life at Bletchley Park.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED The Rose Code and it led me to Station X. One of the source materials for Kate Quinn, this book is a memoir by Sarah Norton Baring who worked in secrecy at Bletchley Park during WWII.

Baring’s book goes into more a depth around specific wartime movements, which if that doesn’t interest you could be off putting, but I enjoyed Baring’s insights—told from the secrecy of Naval Intelligence.

I was also fascinated by how Quinn’s book could replicate the same light, fun, writing style that Baring used. The Rose Code almost felt like an extension of Baring’s writing.

If historical fiction that leans heavier on the history/lighter on the fiction interest you and you liked The Rose Code, this 187-page book is also for you!