Book Tells Story of Ealing Woman Who Translated Hitler's Will
Bletchley Park Girl Rena Stewart lived until she was 100
Rena Stewart points to the brick laid in her honour at Bletchley Park
May 28, 2025
A new book about the 100-year-old Ealing woman, whose remarkable life included being the translator of Hitler’s will, is about to be published.
Rena Stewart originally from Fife in Scotland, graduated from St Andrews University in 1943. Along with her friend and fellow linguist Agnes, she decided to 'do something about the war'. They signed up for the Auxiliary Territorial Service and were posted to Bletchley Park, where Rena processed secret German messages. At the end of the war, Rena and her Bletchley colleagues were sent to Germany, to translate the statements of captured Nazi officers. There, she and another friend, Margery, were also given a top-secret task: to translate Hitler's personal will.
After the end of the conflict, she became one of the first female journalists at the BBC. She was unable to tell her employer about her war time work, so in 1947 she joined the BBC World Service (WS) in London as a lowly clerk. She spent ten years listening in to Russian Cold War broadcasts. However, her talents soon became evident, and she worked her way up to become the first female leader (Senior Duty Editor) in the WS newsroom – which she described as her proudest moment.
She said, 'My greatest achievement has been getting people to recognise that a woman can be as good a journalist as a man'.
Her biographer is Victoria Walsh who got to meet Rena at her home in Ealing following her hundredth birthday. Sadly, Rena died a few months later but Victoria had managed to capture details of this remarkable woman’s life story. The result is 'The Story of Rena Stewart’, which is due to be published on Friday 30 May, by Pen & Sword.
Rena Stewart at 100 (left) and the cover of the book telling her story (right)
The book contains much intrigue including three 'mysteries' relating to Bletchley Park, Hitler's will and the BBC during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Devoted to her career Rena never married nor had children but had a gentle humour and passion for the Arts and taught Scottish dancing until she was 90.
Rena's story is brought to life by a collection of photos and other artefacts. These range from a scribbled-on cigarette pack to a map showing the escape route taken by the messengers that spirited Hitler's wills away from his bunker.
The author said, “Rena loved living in Ealing and was by no means a show-off, but I think that she'd be delighted to know that the people of Ealing might discover her story and feel proud of her.”
A young Rena Stewart sitting on a deck chair
Victoria will be giving a talk at the Ealing branch of the u3a (University of the Third Age) on Thursday 5 June from 10:15 am - 12:00 pm at Ealing Green Church.
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