Memorable Quotes from Matthew Beard
1 quoteThe Power of Knowledge Against Nazism
Hugh Alexander
My God, you did it. You just defeated Nazism with a crossword puzzle.
John Cairncross
There are five people in the world who know the position of every ship in the Atlantic. They are all in this room.
Joan Clarke
Oh, good God.
Hugh Alexander
Oh, I don't think even He has the power that we do right now.
Joan Clarke
No. There's going to be an attack on a British passenger convoy. Right there.
[getting closer to map]
John Cairncross
God, you're right. Those U-boats are only twenty, thirty minutes away.
Joan Clark
Civilians. Hundreds of them. We can save their lives.
John Cairncross
And knock out a whole German fleet in the process.
Hugh Alexander
I'll phone Denniston's office so that he can alert the Admiralty.
Alan Turing
No.
Joan Clarke
Do you think there's enough time to save them?
John Cairncross
There should be. If we can get a message to that convoy—
Hugh Alexander
Commander Denniston's office please, it's urgent—
[into phone]
Alan Turing
No, no!
[grabs and hangs up phone]
Hugh Alexander
What the hell are you doing?
Alan Turing
You-you can't call Denniston. You-you can't tell him about the attack.
Hugh Alexander
What are you talking about?
John Cairncross
We can have air support over that convoy in ten minutes.
Alan Turing
Let the U-boats sink the convoy.
John Cairncross
Look, it's been a big day, maybe you're suffering from—
Alan Turing
Oh, shut up—
Hugh Alexander
We don't have time—
[tries to grab phone back]
Alan Turing
No!
Joan Clarke
Oh, Hugh! Hugh! Stop! That's enough!
John Cairncross
Stop, Hugh!
Peter Hilton
John, the attack is in minutes.
Joan Clarke
Are you all right?
[rushes to Alan's side]
Alan Turing
Yes, no, I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm fine. Do you know why people like violence, Hugh? It's because it feels good. Sometimes we can't do what feels good. We have to do what is logical.
[to Hugh]
John Cairncross
What's logical?
Alan Turing
The hardest time to lie is when the other person is expecting to be lied to.
Joan Clarke
Oh, God.
[getting it]
John Cairncross
What?
Alan Turing
If someone's waiting for a lie, you can't just, uh, give them one.
Joan Clarke
Damn it, Alan's right.
Peter Hilton
What?
Alan Turing
What would the Germans think if we destroy their U-boats?
Peter Hilton
Nothing. They'll be dead.
John Cairncross
No. No, you can't be right.
Alan Turing
So our convoy suddenly veers off course... a squadron of our air bombers miraculously descends on the coordinates of the U-boats... what will the Germans think?
Hugh Alexander
The Germans will know that we have broken Enigma.
Joan Clarke
They'll stop all radio communications by midday, and they'll have changed the design of Enigma by the weekend.
Hugh Alexander
Yes.
Alan Turing
Two years work. Everything we've done here will all be for nothing.
John Cairncross
There are 500 people in that convoy. Women. Children. We're about to let them die.
Alan Turing
Our job isn't to save one passenger convoy, it is to win the war.
Hugh Alexander
Our job was to crack Enigma.
Alan Turing
Oh, we've done that. Now for the hard part. Keeping it a secret.
Peter Hilton
Carlisle.
Joan Clarke
What?
Peter Hilton
The convoy you're about to... it's, uh... The HMS Carlisle is one of the ships. We can't act on every piece of intelligence? So fine, we won't. Just this one.
[points to the map]
Joan Clarke
Peter, what's the matter with you?
Peter
My brother's... well, he's on the Carlisle. A gunnery ensign.
Alan Turing
I'm... I'm so sorry.
Peter Hilton
Who the hell do you think you are? This is my brother. He's my big brother, alright, and you have a few minutes to call off his murder.
Alan Turing
We can't.
John Cairncross
He's right.
Peter Hilton
Alan. Joan. Hugh. John. Please, I... the Germans, they won't get suspicious just because we stopped one attack. No one will know. I'm asking you. As your friend. Please.
Alan Turing
I'm so sorry.
Peter Hilton
You're not God, Alan. You don't get to decide who lives and who dies.
Alan Turing
Yes, we do.
Peter Hilton
Why?
Alan Turing
Because no one else can.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.