A 90-year-old who died in a house fire on Monday, March 18 is believed to have been one of the wartime code-breaking heroes of Bletchley Park.

Olive Angless, who spoke very little about her time with the elite Second World War team, took her secrets to the grave after her body was found inside her smouldering bungalow in Worthing.

Neighbours called the emergency services shortly after 2.30am after hearing “loud noises” at her home.

More than 20 firefighters worked to tackle the blaze in Lime Tree Avenue, Findon Valley, but were unable to get to Ms Angless in time.

Originally from London, she is thought to have moved to Worthing in the 1960s.

As well as being a member of a number of local clubs she was also an active member of All Saints Church in Cissbury Drive.

'Sharp as anything'

Deacon Beverley Miles said: “She didn’t have any local blood family but she had her family of friends.

“For her the church was her family.

“There is a great deal of mystery surrounding what she did during the war but the rumour is that she was at Bletchley Park.

“She certainly had the mind for it. Whenever we held quiz nights everybody wanted to be on Olive’s team – she was as sharp as anything.”

Cracking Enigma

Bletchley Park was the top secret base for the Allies’ codebreaking efforts during the war.

The top minds from around the country lived and worked there while attempting to crack the German Enigma Code.

Code-breakers were told not to speak about their work after the war and the centre only became public knowledge in the seventies.

Ms Angless never married and worked for much of her life as a legal secretary in Worthing.

Knit and natter

Among her other interests in her later years were knitting, crochet and the Women’s Institute.

Mrs Miles added: “She was a keen member of our Knitter and Natter group and helped make little jumpers for the premature babies at the hospital.

“She always thought of others.”

Yesterday (March 21) flowers had been placed near the driveway of her home with police tape still cordoning off the entrance.

Accidental fire

The home’s roof was destroyed with the walls and foundations also suffering significant damage.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said that the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

A post-mortem was held yesterday although the details have not yet been released.

Sussex Fire and Rescue said yesterday that the fatal blaze was started accidentally, possibly by an electrical fault.

Send your tributes to Ms Angless to ben.james@theargus.co.uk.

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