National Ration Books

During the two world wars rationing of food was a part of life and books such as these were issued to families in order that they recieve their alloted amount of food.  Customers would tear off a ration coupon from inside the book for a rationed foodstuff such as lard and in turn the retailer would stamp the book to show that they had issued the customer with the correct amount.   These books belonged to the Aird family from Darvel in East Ayrshire and had been used at the following local stores: Alexander Allan, Butcher, West Main Street, Darvel; The Buttercup Dairy Co., 9 Main Street, Darvel; The Independant Co-op. Society, Ltd, 55 West Main Street, Darvel; James & Maggie Tarbet's, The Cross, Darvel and John B. Smith's, 56 Main Street, Newmilns.   The books also carried important messages such as this one entitled 'National Salvage': "It is the duty of every householder not only to prevent waste, but also to see that all material of every kind which he cannot use himself is carefully preserved and handed over to those who can.  Bones, Waste Paper, Rags, Metals, etc., are all urgently needed.   There were sadder messages too such as ones from the Imperial War Museum asking for any photographs, biographies, letters and mementoes from any soldier who lost their life in the war so that they could build up a permanent record of the fallen.