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Information on Residents in the U. K. in 1939


With the United Kingdom 1931 Census destroyed in a fire in 1942 and no census done in 1941 because of World War II, the special registration of citizens in the U. K. completed in 1939 can be invaluable for family researchers. This unique registration was ordered just after the declaration of war in September 1939. Its purpose was to assist, if needed, in evacuations, ration cards and meeting wartime needs.

After, the special National Registration Day on Friday, 29 September 1939, some 46 million identify cards were issued with an identify number that each citizen must carry with them at all times. Even after the end of the war and the identify cards no longer needed, the identity numbers for each person was still used when the National Health Service was established.

The two online sites provide the links for downloading an application to secure a copy on an individual of this 1939 registration.

1939 Register Service


1939 National Identity Card

To make a request, you need to fill out an application form available online. There is a fee of £42 for each request. The information is available for those who lived in England and Wales. It will have the names, sex, date of birth, trade or occupations, martial status, any military personnel the residence location. The information on the National Identity Cards is only provided on persons who are deceased, so proof of death is required.

For any ancestors in 1939 in Scotland there is available an official extract of the similar 1939 National Identity Register. An application must also be completed and the fee for the information is £13. Again, only those who are deceased (supply a death certificate) can be requested their identity card information.

A family researcher might check with family keepsakes since many relatives kept their cards for decades. The original card of an ancestor might be in the family Bible or other location of family records. It is still good to secure a copy of the registration from the 29th of September because the card does not have all the data which was originally provided.