National Registration Act 1939

Adult Identity Card - 1943

The National Registration Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. VI c. 91) was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom.^[1] The initial National Registration Bill was introduced to Parliament as an emergency measure at the start of World War II. Royal assent given on 5 September 1939.

The Act established a National Register which began operating on 29 September 1939 (National Registration Day), a system of identity cards, and a requirement that they must be produced on demand or presented to a police station within 48 hours.

World War 2 Identity Cards

Every man, woman and child had to carry an identity (ID) card at all times and the cards would include the following information:

Name
Sex
Age
Occupation, profession, trade or employment
Address; Marital status
Membership of Naval, Military or Air Force Reserves or Auxiliary Forces or of Civil Defence Services or Reserves.

65,000 enumerators across the country delivered forms ahead of the chosen day. On 29 September 1939, householders were required to record details on the registration forms. On the following Sunday and Monday the enumerators visited every householder, checked the form and there and then issued a completed identity card for each of the residents. All cards at this time were the same brown/buff colour.

Three main reasons for their introduction:

1. The major dislocation of the population caused by mobilisation and mass evacuation and also the wartime need for complete manpower control and planning in order to maximise the efficiency of the war economy.
2. The likelihood of rationing (introduced from January 1940 onwards).
3. Population statistics. As the last census had been held in 1931, there was little accurate data on which to base vital planning decisions. The National Register was in fact an instant census and the National Registration Act closely resembles the 1920 Census Act in many ways.

1943 (Blue) Identity Card

The more commonly found blue version of the identity card (see image) was issued in 1943 for adults. Until then, adult identity cards had been brown, the same colour as children's cards. Government officials had green ID cards with a photograph whilst those in the armed services had separate identification cards.

Children under 16 were issued with Identity Cards but they were to be kept by their parents. Identification was necessary if families got separated from one another or their house was bombed, and if people were injured or killed.

The sections in the card showing the change in address were important, as many people moved several times during the war.

Class Codes

Class Codes were used for administration and electoral purposes. Cards were marked A, B, C, N or V.

A: Aged over 21
B: Aged between 16 and 21

Additionally, all class code 'B' cards were followed by three numbers. The first two indicated the year in which the holder was born whilst the third indicated which quarter of the year the holder was born in. For example, B. 252 would show that the holder was born in the second quarter of 1925 and would also indicate to a polling clerk that the holder would attain adult status in the second quarter of 1946 (i.e. reach the age of 21).

C: Appeared on yellow cards issued to workers from 'Eire' (Ireland) who were conditionally admitted to Great Britain.
N: Cards re-issued under an altered name.
V: Placed on yellow cards issued to people over 16 arriving in this country who declared that they were usually resident outside the UK.

Temporary buff cards were issued to children under 16 but did not carry a class code.

Repeal of the Act

On 21 February 1952, it no longer became necessary to carry an identity card. The National Registration Act of 1939 was repealed on 22 May 1952. The last person prosecuted under the Act was Clarence Henry Willcock.

Access to information

The records created under the National Registration Act are held by The National Archives but were not for many years freely accessible to the public. From 2010, subject to restrictions to safeguard the privacy of people who are or may still be living, information could be obtained from the NHS Information Centre about specific individuals for a fee.^[2] The National Archives has now entered into an agreement under which the original documents have been digitised scanned and are available (subject to privacy restrictions) on the subsrciption-based Findmypast website,^[3] although they can also be viewed for free in person at the National Archives in Kew.

References

↑ National Registration Act, 1939. Rootsweb.com. URL accessed 1 March 2008.
↑ "NHS IC launches the 1939 Register Service". Retrieved 2015-07-25.
↑ "The 1939 Register".

External links

Select Committee on Home Affairs Fourth Report, 20 July 2004
Michael Caines, Identity crisis, Times Online, 11 April 2006
Nick Cohen, Blunkett's identity crisis, The Observer, 30 June 2002
Jon Agar, Identity cards in Britain: past experience and policy implications
Privacy International, History of ID Cards in the United Kingdom, 1 Jan 1997
Statewatch, Identity cards in the UK - a lesson from history
The 1939 National Identity Card

Census in the United Kingdom

Censuses

Published	1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911 Ireland 1939

Unpublished	1921 1931 1951 1961 1966 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

Future	2021

Census Acts

See Also

United Kingdom legislation

Pre-Parliamentary legislation	List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta

Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain	Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483 1485–1601 1603–1641 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660–1699 1700–1706 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland

Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain	1707–1719 1720–1739 1740–1759 1760–1779 1780–1800

Acts of the Parliament of Ireland	to 1700 1701–1800

Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	1801–1819 1820–1839 1840–1859 1860–1879 1880–1899 1900–1919 1920–1939 1940–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000 to date Halsbury's Statutes Legislation.gov.uk Short titles

Church of England measures	List Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919

Legislation of devolved institutions	Acts of the Scottish Parliament List Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales List Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly List Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland List Orders in Council for Northern Ireland List

Orders-in-Council	Order in Council

Secondary legislation	United Kingdom Statutory Instruments Scottish Statutory Instruments Acts of Sederunt Acts of Adjournal

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