Good news, bad news.

First, the good news: To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe (VE Day celebration photo at right), Findmypast (FMP) is offering free access to the 1939 Register through May 8. Search it here. 

The 1939 Register--similar to a census and conducted by the British government on September 29, 1939--is a complete record of the pre-war civilian population in Britain. Entries include residents of each household with full name, address, date of birth, marital status, occupation, and whether the individual was a member of the armed services or reserves.

Now the bad news: Only the records of England and Wales are available online, not Northern Ireland or Scotland.

More information about the 1939 Register can be found at Who Do You Think You Are Magazine.