"somewhere in England" … part of a RCAF Halifax Squadron

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Richard. With regards to the British motor vehicle registration system, am I correct in thinking that when a particular plate code references a given location, that location is merely the central registration office for a given territory, and that territory could be quite expansive in some situations?

In the case of this Hillman, could the territory assigned the BV plates, include part of Yorkshire, or do the registration territories never cross county borders?

The more I look at these photos, the more it strikes me how relaxed everyone looks. Not much tension showing in the faces at all. Seems more and more likely they could be post VE Day snaps.

Back the Hillman again, does it have a white painted front bumper? Wasn't a set of full white bumpers, or at least white painted bumper ends, a fairly common blackout practice during the war? Was there an official end to blackout conditions post war, or did it just happen?

David

David,
Registrations of motor vehicles back then were done with local or county councils, so in this case it was Blackburn in Lancashire. The number stayed with the vehicle wherever it ended up in the country, but could be transferred to another vehicle. In those days there were more local registration offices, they then were reduced to county councils, and eventually centralised in present times under a central government agency.

My mother had been a policewoman before I cam along and she taught me at an early age, the registration letters and where the vehicle originated from, which still comes in useful when looking at older vehicles.

So back to the car, which I am sure is a 1934 Hillman Minx, its registration does not tell you too much other than it was from the next county, if you are guessing the picture was taken in Yorkshire. White bumper, sometimes white edging to the front wings. According to a quick search the blackout restrictions were lifted on 30th April 1945.