[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Jan, War Department Census Numbers were allocated to vehicles that were purchased, requisitioned, gifted to, or whatever and acquired by the Ministry of Supply for the War Office & Air Ministry, and by the Admiralty for the Royal Navy & Royal Marines. Up to 1940 these had to have civilian registrations and the Census Number was just that! From 1940, no tax disc was required, and the requirement to register vehicles (in the Middlesex County Council in practice) was abandoned in favour of reliance on the WD Number.

The Ministry of Supply with the Ministry of War Transport also acquired vehicles of all types for Government users, such as staff cars for official use, Air Ministry staff, Salvage Corps, local authorities, police, fire services, et al. These had civilian registrations either in Government-allocated batches by the Middlesex County Council, or by London County Council, or regional local authorities. In addition there were various ambulance authorities, church and religious groups, Ministry of Food, etc. vehicles that were often military types with civilian or military tyres but carrying civilian registrations.