The 1939 Register for England and Wales was taken on 29 September 1939 and was designed to capture the details of every member of the civilian population on that date. The register is particularly valuable for family historians as, unlike the censuses, it gives each person’s exact date of birth.
Records of individuals included on the 1939 Register for England and Wales are released periodically, either after a death is officially notified, under the 100-year rule, or as members of the public advise that an individual has recently passed away, meaning that their record can be opened.
Unless a release request is made and authorised or a death officially recorded, the records of individuals usually become available to search once the centenary of that person’s birth has passed.