WW2 UK ID Cards

[TREBORANDERSON]

I have several family ID cards, all of which have different "Class Codes"

What is the interpretation of this?

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[p.risboy]

I have just looked at my families WW2 ID cards, and there is no class code references on them.

I was guess that the Class Code would be the level of security risk to the nation of residence, regarding the person and the country of origin, named in the ID cards.


Steve.

 

[TREBORANDERSON]

Thanks for your response ... this is odd - I attach the ID card of my cousin - Janet Cuthbertson - aged 17 - but living in the city of Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1946 instead of the town of Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland where she was born in 1929.
There MUST be a register of these codes somewhere .... my beautiful and very glamorous cousin was known as Jenny, and was NOT the kind of girl to have been in service ... I wonder if she was pregnant and shipped to Glasgow for the birth?
Sadly, she is dead now, but if there's an unknown child out there, I would like to know ... the address on the card is rather grand, and as yet I have not knocked on the door, but if all else fails ... It's just a few miles from where I live.

I have searched the Scottish birth records but nothing leaps out at me - was this address just a grand house or some kind of nursing home?

Again - what is this class code, and what are the numbers top left of the card?

Any help much appreciated .... thanks.

 

[DaveHam9]

You would think a search would quickly find an answer to the Class Code but not so.

 

[gibbo]

class codes could that be like a post code. I have been trying to find something on them and the closet i could find is it may be a post code. I dont know anything about post codes over there but someone else might know if it could be possibly that.

 

[davelambert271]

Hi
There seems to be several different cards, which doesn't help. I understand the code at the top left was based on the numbers which should have been used for the 1941 census which did not take place. This number identified where the holder was from. My father's number was JBFT 163 1 and mine was JBFT 163 4. I was the fourth member of the family. My father had a photo on his card as he was in the fire service and also a warden, but there isn't a class code on it

The heading on the pic says - I ant got no dentity card
dave

 

[dochines]

The numbers and letters at the top left are the national registration number which interestingly in 1948 became your national health number with the advent of the National Health Service. the system was changed about 15-20 years ago to a more secure NHS numbering system. Many elderly people who have lived at the same address for years will still have their old NHS cards with their war time registration number on.
As far as class codes are concerned I have like others been unable to find much about this they seem to have class code A on the ones in my family which Ithink represents fully british born and bred. I think they reflected the security risk of the person concerned. Aliens and other nationalities being coded differently. i have failed however to find chapter and verse on this

dochines

 

[p.risboy]

Just found my fathers ID card. Class code A for him. None in my siblings ID cards.
Still no idea what it means.

Steve.

 

[ronmanley]

Hi

I made contact with a web site that had information on ww2 ID cards and the like.

This is his response.........

"The class codes were used for administration purposes, particularly electoral purposes.

The letters were either A or B and indicated at the date of issue whether the holder was over 21 (A), or over 16 but under 21 respectively (B).

The class code 'B' was 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. 233 would show that the holder was born in the third quarter of 1923 and would also indicate to a polling clerk that the holder would attain adult status in the third quarter of 1944.

Cards re-issued under an altered name carried the further class code letter N. An additional class code letter C appeared on yellow cards issued to workers from the Republic of Ireland who were conditionally admitted to Great Britain, and the class code letter V was placed on the 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."

I think that answers your question in a nutshell.

Best Regards - Ron

 

[dochines]

Well done Ron for seeking and finding this illusive information

dochines

 

[leefer]

Very interesting....had no knowledge of these...good work Ron.