The above guide on where to get your ration book is from the Leven Mail of 31 May 1944. There were two locations in Largo Parish at that time: the Simpson Institute in Upper Largo and St Margaret's Garden Room in Lundin Links. The latter was a private house on Victoria Road. This house (now known as Strathearn) was owned by Mrs Jean Gaskell - born Jean Helen Rintoul, sister of Leonora Rintoul. In 1946 was St Margaret's Garden Room was still the ration book collection location. Jean also ran a Sunday School from this venue in the 1940s. St Margaret's is indicated by the arrow on the left of the image below.
By 1947 the Lundin Links ration book venue had changed to Lundin Ladies Golf Club House and it remained so for some time - see notice below from 6 April 1949 Leven Mail. Note that a Lower Largo collection point had been added at St David's Church.
The British government had introduced food rationing in January 1940. The scheme was designed to ensure fair shares for all at a time of national shortage. The Ministry of Food was responsible for overseeing rationing. Every man, woman and child was given a ration book with coupons. These were required before rationed goods could be purchased.
Basic foodstuffs such as sugar, meat, fats, bacon and cheese were directly rationed by an allowance of coupons. Householders had to register with particular retailers in order to collect their rations.
The first ration books came into use in January 1940 and had been printed before the war as part of the nation's peace-time precautions. These were based upon World War 1 experiences and lasted only six months. New ration books were issued in July 1940 and again in January 1941. The latter were designed to last for 12 months (to reduce the effort of the food offices and postal services in distributing them. However, changes in the food situation made it necessary to issue supplementary books (the yellow one and the pink one). July 1942 saw another book issued (intended to be for 12 months) but this was replaced in May 1943. The next one was May 1944 - the issue shown in the notice at the top of the post. Further issues followed and it was not until the early 1950s that most commodities came ‘off the ration’. Meat was the last item to be de-rationed and food rationing ended completely in 1954. To view a short film from the Imperial War Museum about rationing - click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9wNJ78S2GY
Basic foodstuffs such as sugar, meat, fats, bacon and cheese were directly rationed by an allowance of coupons. Householders had to register with particular retailers in order to collect their rations.
The first ration books came into use in January 1940 and had been printed before the war as part of the nation's peace-time precautions. These were based upon World War 1 experiences and lasted only six months. New ration books were issued in July 1940 and again in January 1941. The latter were designed to last for 12 months (to reduce the effort of the food offices and postal services in distributing them. However, changes in the food situation made it necessary to issue supplementary books (the yellow one and the pink one). July 1942 saw another book issued (intended to be for 12 months) but this was replaced in May 1943. The next one was May 1944 - the issue shown in the notice at the top of the post. Further issues followed and it was not until the early 1950s that most commodities came ‘off the ration’. Meat was the last item to be de-rationed and food rationing ended completely in 1954. To view a short film from the Imperial War Museum about rationing - click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9wNJ78S2GY
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