1945 - 1947 License plates from the Western Occupation Zones and Berlin (West) (first system)

The Western Occupation Zones have been divided in three between the USA, UK and France. All three introduced their own registration plate systems during 1945/46 in their zones. The Western sectors of Berlin were also divided in three parts and been adminstrated by the USA, UK and France.
 

• British Occupation Zone
• American Occupation Zone
• French Occupation Zone
• Berlin (West)

British Occupation Zone:

In the British Zone firstly (probably in 1946) white plates with black letter and numbers have been introduced. There was a letter code for the district followed by a serial number.

DÜS = Dusseldorf, red stamp "Straßenverkehrsamt Solingen"

HAN = Hannover, red stamp

The codelist was as follows:
 

AAC	Aachen	LIP	Lippe
ARN	Arnsberg	LUN	Lüneburg
AUR	Aurich	MIN	Minden
BRA	Braunschweig	MÜN	Münster
DÜS	Düsseldorf	OLD	Oldenburg
H	Hamburg	OSN	Osnabrück
HAN	Hannover	S	Schleswig-Holstein
HIL	Hildesheim	STA	Stade
KOL	Köln

In the years 1946 to 1948 the British issued plates from a second system. The base plate was blue with black letters and numbers. Unfortunately I do not have an example in my collection. The codelist was as follows:
 

HA	Niedersachsen	SH	Schleswig-Holstein
HG	Hamburg	WF	Westfalen
NR	Nordrhein

American Occupation Zone

In the American Zone the first series has orange base plates with black letters and numbers. The series was introduced in 1946. In Bremen these plates have been introduced from July 8, 1947, on. It is not known if there have been plates of the British military authority have been in use before, because Bremen was initially occupied by British troops.

BY = Bavaria (=Bayern), rear motorcycle plate

BY = Bavaria (= Bayern)

If there were issued number code for the counties is not known.

The codelist for the districts was as follows:
 

BM	Bremen	NB	Nord-Baden
BY	Bayern	WB	Nord-Württemberg
HE	Hessen

French Occupation Zone

Also in the French Zone new plates have been introduced probably in 1946. The base plate was in dark red and the letters and numbers in black.

Shown is a front motorcycle plate from BD = Baden. Numbercodes for the counties are not known.

In the following the codelist for the districts:
 

BD	Süd-Baden	SA	Saarland
PF	Hessen-Pfalz	WT	Süd-Württemberg & Hohenzollern
RL	Rheinland	X	Lindau

Berlin (West):

In the Western Sectors of Berlin since 1946 plates with the code KB have been in use. KB meant "Kommandantura Berlin".

number is sprayed of the base plate; the rest of the seal reads "Der Polizeipräsident in Berlin"

rear truck plate

rear motorcycle plate

ralf@hegis.de

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