Just as the Japanese were surrendering at the end of World War II, Archibald Torrance had his own battle to fight - in Kilmarnock Sheriff’s Court. It concerned coal rationing. The shortages and austerity of the Second World War caused coal to be rationed, even though Britain was a coal producing country. It is difficult for anyone who was not alive at the time to understand how significant coal rationing was, as almost all domestic heating was from coal fires, hot water was from coal fired boilers or coppers and many people were still cooking on coal fired kitchen ranges. Industry, too, was powered by coal.