war time petrol rationing

[richard]

i have petrol coupons as pics. my car built October 1949 so quite suitable .as it happens rationing finished early 1950 so these  werent used . does anyone know the difference between N and L coupons ?

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

I don't know what the distinction was between N and L units, only that N & L were the standard units for private motorists, E, S & T units were for various passenger carrying public service vehicles like buses, coaches and taxi's and F, G, W, Y & Z were for "other" commercial vehicles.

[richard]

thanks - surprisingly little detail that i can find on the web seems odd that books contain N and L .

[Big Al]

Was it not usage? If you had need of mileage for genuine need to the benefit of the country then you got extra coupons, say district nurse. The transportation remained a private car.

This use of allotted fuel saw inappropriate vehicles used for tasks beyond them. My mother used to have to go out from Winchester Hospital with another senior Physiotherapist to fulfil a round of clinics around Hampshire in an overloaded Jowett Bradford. This often could not climb some of the steep hills so the passenger would have to get out and walk up the hill. On bad days two trips were needed to get up as some of the equipment, like infra red lighting generator, was very heavy. This was because the job in hand did not warrant an Ambulance and the only option was to wangle a 'car' to do it with an additional fuel ration despite the fact they were treating mostly war wounded. It sounds funny but these times might return if the wheels come right off the economy. Certainly the best war heroes are dead ones from the States point of view. They have always tried to duck paying for those injured fighting for the country.

Now while that was the case in Hampshire I do not know if it is related to the letter definition as to what ration you were using.

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

You got more coupons depending the size of your engine and on how vital the Ministry of Fuel interpreted your need, but the letters were specific to the type of vehicle and what it was being used for - there were coupons for anything that used fuel like boats and generators as well as for road vehicles. As fuel rationing went on after the war, they introduced dye into the fuel to try to stop people using their business allowance for fun or people selling on any spare fuel for nefarious purposes. The controls on the books were always quite tight but if you managed to get some fuel, it was a bit easier to pass any surplus on. The composer Ivor Novello was jailed for misusing his coupons.

I thought there would be more detailed info somewhere on the net, but the best I can find at the moment is.

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/petrolrationing.htm

[Big Al]

The composer Ivor Novello was jailed for misusing his coupons.

Why is a guy named after owning a short story a composer not an author?

[Rob Dobie]

Wasn't there a song about a soldier called Ivor Biggun?

[Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)]

Sorry, Ivan Eclew.

[marcus]

LD, others here might have heard me talking about this before, but you might have missed this:

During WW2 my Mum's best friend's father was a farmer, so they were usually the only two to arrive at dances and parties by car, all others had to walk, cycle or use public transport, so arriving by car was very special. He got his extra petrol and could drive anytime, anywhere as long as he hitched a trailer to the car and put a pig or sheep in it, so they always arrived with livestock behind!

[richard]

hilarious 

[Rob Dobie]

Oink and Baa! It's a wonder the Pig & Sheep weren't stolen by a spive for the black market.

[richard]

just found these in my junk no idea what date - either 1939/50 or 1956/57 anyway . these do mention tricycle this time  

oops just noticed HER Majesty and the Queens crown (- the earlier ones had the Kings crown) so these will be from the Suez Crisis of 56/57

[marcus]

During the 1970s fuel crisis, soon after I had started driving, they started issuing petrol rations which were going to be introduced and I kept mine for a long time but lost them in a move. Luckily about 3 weeks before they were due to be necessary the crisis eased.