War veteran Susie Gellman served at Canada's secret WWII code‑breaking unit.

Susie Gellman, who died at 104, served as a typist in the Examination Unit, a top‑secret Canadian code‑breaking operation during the Second World War; the unit was publicly honoured with a plaque at Laurier House in 2022.

Susie Gellman died in Ottawa on Dec. 22 at the age of 104. She had been a typist in the Examination Unit, a top‑secret Canadian code‑breaking operation during the Second World War. The unit's work was publicly acknowledged with a plaque unveiled at Laurier House on Aug. 6, 2022. That ceremony allowed former members to speak of the unit after decades of secrecy. Key facts: - Born Sylvia Irene Abelson on May 8, 1921, in Ottawa, she was the eldest of five children. - She joined the Examination Unit in 1943 at about age 22 and worked in its Japanese Diplomatic Section as a typist. - The XU was launched in 1941 to decipher diplomatic and military messages and shared information with Britain's Government Code and Cypher School and with U.S. intelligence. - Gellman typed decoded messages, sealed them with wax, and handed them to a courier who cycled to the Department of External Affairs twice daily. - Parks Canada designated the Examination Unit a national historic event in 2021, and a commemorative plaque was unveiled at Laurier House in 2022. - She married Lawrence Gellman in 1957, had a daughter named Barbara, returned to Ottawa in 1970 to help her parents, and remained active into late life. Summary: Her wartime role and the later commemoration helped bring public attention to the Examination Unit's contributions alongside better‑known efforts such as Bletchley Park. Undetermined at this time.