Formation and early history Raised in 1797, the regiment comprised five troops among which were the "East Lothian Yeomanry Cavalry" and the "Berwickshire Yeomanry". Its first Colonel was Sir James Gardiner Baird of Saughtonhall, Bart. After disbandment in 1838 and re-raising in 1846, the unit became the
Lothians and Berwickshire Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry in 1888. The regiment became the
Lothians and Berwickshire Imperial Yeomanry in 1901. In 1908, the regiment was transferred to the
Territorial Force (TF) and named
The Lothians and Border Horse (Dragoons). It is in the form of a stone obelisk and was erected in 1902. It was listed, category B, in 1998.
First World War In accordance with the
Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (
7 Edw. 7, c.9) which brought the
Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for
Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line regiments. In August 1914, the Lothians and Border Horse was based in
Edinburgh and assigned to the
Lowland Mounted Brigade.
1/1st Lothians and Border Horse In the Summer of 1915, the 1/1st was split up as follows:
2/1st Lothians and Border Horse The 2nd line regiment was formed in 1914. In 1915, it was under the command of the
2/1st Lowland Mounted Brigade in Scotland (along with the
2/1st Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's Own) Yeomanry and the
2/1st Lanarkshire Yeomanry) and by March 1916 was at
Dunbar in
East Lothian. On 31 March 1916, the remaining Mounted Brigades were numbered in a single sequence and the brigade became
20th Mounted Brigade, still at Dunbar under
Scottish Command. In July 1916 there was a major reorganization of 2nd Line yeomanry units in the United Kingdom. All but 12 regiments were converted to
cyclists The regiment moved to
Haddington in July 1917. with the rest being transferred to other roles. As a result, on 21 May 1920, the regiment was one of eight converted and reduced to an
Armoured Car Company. The company was originally designated
1st (Lothians and Border) Armoured Car Company, Tank Corps. It was later renumbered as
19th (Lothians and Border) Armoured Car Company, Royal Tank Corps. On 30 April 1939, it was transferred to the
Royal Armoured Corps. By 1939, it had become clear that a new European war was likely to break out, and the doubling of the Territorial Army was authorised, with each unit forming a duplicate. The Lothians were expanded into what was officially known as two armoured 'Lines' (aka armoured regiments) on 24 August 1939 as
1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry Second World War 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry cemetery, memorial for T.J. Atkins,
MM The 1st Regiment of Lothians and Border Yeomanry was part of the
51st Highland Division, which had been sent to reinforce the
French Maginot Line and was serving there when the
Germans started their offensive. Together with the rest of the Division, the regiment attempted to rejoin the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Moving around the south of
Paris, the regiment engaged the German Army south of the
River Somme near
Abbeville. Outnumbered, it fought a retreat of sixty miles in six days to the fishing port of
St. Valery-en-Caux, where, having run out of food, ammunition and other supplies, they surrendered on 12 June. Prior to this, some of the regiment's personnel were evacuated during
Operation Aerial, and went on to re-form the 1st Lothians and Border Horse, which was attached to the
30th Armoured Brigade,
79th Armoured Division and returned to France on
D Day, 6 June 1944. The regiment remained with 79th Armoured in North West Europe until the end of the war. Casualties, from D-Day up to the end of the war, consisted of 17 men killed, 90 officers and
other ranks wounded, and 16 officers and other ranks missing in action. Equipment losses were four
Sherman Gun Tanks and 36 Sherman Crab Tanks destroyed.
Commanding officers Commanding officers of the 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry were as follows: • 2 September 1939:
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Younger, killed in action • 17 March 1940: Lieutenant-Colonel
Michael Picton Ansell, became a
prisoner of war 2nd Lothians and Border Horse On 22 August 1939, while Germany prepared to invade Poland, the 2nd Lothians and Border Horse formed. On 17 May 1940, Major Desmond O'Brien Evelyn Ffrench-Blake of the 13/18 Hussars joined Regiment for duties as Second-in-Command. He remained with the regiment, and became the commanding officer in North Africa until his death two years later. On 30 May 1940, the regiment was assigned to the newly formed
1st Motor Machine Gun Brigade, as an interim move due to the shortage of
Tanks after the retreat from
Dunkirk. On 12 September 1940, the regiment was converted from a temporary armoured car/mechanized infantry formation to an armoured formation within the Royal Armoured Corps. The change coincided with the brigade being re-designated as the 26th Armoured Brigade, part of the newly formed
6th Armoured Division. They were issued with
Crusader cruiser tanks alongside the
Valentine and
Matilda infantry tanks. The regiment embarked on troopships for the
Tunisian Campaign at the end of 1942, and thereafter served during the
Italian campaign until the end of the war. • 5 May 1940: Lieutenant-Colonel, Major C.H. Turner (Acting) • 8 October 1940: Major D.O’B. E. Ffrench Blake (Acting) • 18 October 1940: Lieutenant-Colonel C.H. Turner • 31 May 1941: Lieutenant-Colonel D.O’B. E. Ffrench Blake (wounded on 25 April 1943) • 25 April 1943: Major J.R. Palmer, M.C. • 28 April 1943: Lieutenant-Colonel R.S.G. Perry (Acting) • 21 May 1943: Lieutenant-Colonel Ffrench Blake (Died on 26 May 1943, following a motor accident) • 22 June 1943: Lieutenant-Colonel W. R. Nicholson
Battle Honours Battle Honours of the 2nd Regiment Lothians & Border Horse In 2014 the regiment was re-formed as a
squadron within the new
Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry based in
Edinburgh. After forming, the squadron was designated as
E (The Lothians and Border Horse) Squadron. The squadron is currently based at
Redford Barracks in Edinburgh and roles as the regimental 'command and support squadron'. On 10 July 2014 the squadron was granted the
Freedom of East Lothian, marking their relationship with the county. The squadron marched through the town of
Dunbar to mark the occsaion. ==Uniforms==