Building 132 (Ration Store)

The Ration Store, built in 1933, is a Grade II listed building located at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. Designed by the Air Ministry's Directorate of Works and Buildings, it features stretcher bond cavity wall brickwork and a slate roof.

The building has a small single-storey L-plan gabled design, situated behind the Institute (Building No 6) and aligned with the main north/south axis leading to the heating plant. It contains two rooms: an office on the left and a store on the right, both accessed from a verandah that is integrated under the roof slope.

The exterior showcases timber windows with concrete sub-sills and slightly cambered brick voussoir heads. The front elevation includes two 4-pane sash windows on the gable side, a small high casement window, and a wide pair of plank doors set back beneath a deep verandah. The front eaves are supported by slender timber posts on concrete base pads. The end returns are plain, while the rear features two high lights and two 4-pane windows on the gable end, all aligned in one plane. All windows are barred, and there is a slight rendered plinth. The slate roof has tight eaves and verge finishes.

The interior has not been inspected, but it is believed to consist of an office in the gabled unit and a store to the right.

Historically, this modest structure lacks architectural pretension but serves as a standard unit vital to the operation of the base, which was built alongside the Institute. Duxford is recognized as the best-preserved example of a fighter base from this period in Britain, featuring a complete collection of First World War technical buildings as well as typical RAF structures from the inter-war Expansion Periods. The site also holds significant historical connections to the Battle of Britain and American fighter support for the Eighth Air Force. For further historical context, refer to the entry for the Officers' Mess (Building 45).