Kevin
Another thought. Assuming the Cardiganshire records draw a blank like JR suggests.
As a Garrett tractor, it will have been required by law to be 'registered' under the Heavy Motor Car act when new. I have read of no exemptions for the ministry, similarly other ministry engines all seem to be registered when new, rather than unregistered.
There would have been no need to re register an engine already registered on the HMC after sale by the ministry post war.
There are instances however of it happening in 1921 with the new rules.
This Heavy Motor Car registration was sometimes part of the general register, sometimes it was separate.
I think I have read somewhere that Norfolk used a AH 0 prefix to denote the HMC status, often seen on Burrell tractors, but I too have read about two vehicles both carrying the same 'registration number' in some counties. That is one vehicle on the general register, the other on the HMC register.
I notice that the Suffolk Records office suggest that they have : ''Registers BJ 1 - 7869 (1903-23); HMC Register 1905-23''. This is suggestive that the HMC register was separate from the general register in Suffolk.
Have you searched both registers for BJ 545?.
That said 545 is very low in the HMC series vs the other BJ registered 4CD's of similar age.
And thinking about it, they only stopped issuing BJ's in May 1925, so demand cant have been that high in 1918
I also notice that BJ 545X isnt so far away from some of the surviving ministry 4CDs of the same age. Perhaps not only the B changed to a E, but a number went missing at the same time?.
Are any of BJ 5450 - 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 in the HMC index a 4CD I wonder?
All speculation of course, and based on JRs assertion that there is no record of it in Cardiganshire.
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