Born in 1901, Cresswell Hall was the family home of Joe Baker-Cresswell.

As Captain of the Tyne-built, HMS Bulldog, he oversaw the capture of U110 and the enigma decoder machine and vital information that helped to crack the Enigma Code.

King George commented that this was perhaps the "single most important event in the whole war at sea". In basic terms it meant that we could decrypt German Naval codes in a critical period and in real-time and plot U-boat patrols using the captured grid charts, thus shortening the war and saving countless lives at sea.

The Official Secrets Act meant this was kept a secret until late in the 20th century.

We want to highlight the contribution that Cresswell Village made to this remarkable story (which Hollywood used to inspire their version of events!).

We have an opportunity to purchase a scarce replica Enigma machine to form the centerpiece of a planned display but need to raise a minimum of £350 to secure this.

We are also in discussions with Bletchley Park about `information for displays and also plan to apply for a commemorative Blue Plaque.