The situation in East Lothian
In the period from 1947-67 a TA presence was to be found in East Lothian.
The cavalry
The cavalry was represented by the 1st/2nd Lothian & Border Horse, which was reformed in 1947. While they recruited in East Lothian, the Borders and Edinburgh, they were based at Chesser Crescent, Edinburgh. Training took place at Dunbar barracks, where they kept their tanks. Heavy tanks created various problems in training and transport, although they were popular with the children, as at an Open Day at Hedderwick in 1950, when they were allowed to control the tanks by radio. The drivers who received the children’s orders were sore taxed to keep up manoeuvring the heavy tanks at the speed the children gave the orders!
The tanks were not popular with the roads departments, and in 1952 Dunbar council complained about the damage to the streets and the tanks were moved from the barracks to a hanger at Hedderwick early in 1954. Shortly afterwards, tanks were replaced by scout cars which were much more useful for training. The use of the Dunbar barracks continued until 1967.
After the amalgamation of the Scottish Yeomanry to form the Queen’s Own Lowland Yeomanry, it took a while for the new name to be adopted. The Dunbar Army Cadet Force (ACF) cadets continued to wear the Lothian & Border Horse Yeomanry cap-badge until 1959; The Queen’s Own Lowland Yeomanry paraded in Dunbar on Remembrance Sunday that year and the cadets were re-badged with the QOLR badge. Which they still wore until 1967, when they re-badged as Royal Scots. The QOLY was disbanded in 1967; it was reformed in 1992 as the Scottish Yeomanry. The Lothians formed HQ Squadron; it was disbanded in 1999.
From 1992-1999 a colour party of the Scottish Yeomanry attended the Remembrance Day Services in Dunbar, maintaining their strong links with Dunbar parish church. Their memorial is outside the gate of Dunbar parish church. They donated a stained glass window by Shona Milne to the restored church and on 11th June 2000 the Regimental Association standard was laid up in the church.