The
Lothians and Border Horse Yeomanry 1938
to 1956
By May 1939, the 19th A.C.C. had
expanded to a regiment of two lines
known as the 1st and 2nd Lothians.
Armoured cars gave way to light tanks -
the Mark VIb was used in World Wat Two.
Service-dress was superseded by
battle-dress and a further modification
was made to the title. The name was
seldom used by the regiment itself.
Major H.J. Younger chose the 1st
Lothians and Border Yeomanry for the
First Line. The Second Lothians were
referred to as the L&B Horse.
1940:
The Campaign in France
On 3 September 1939, the 1st Lothians
under Lieut. Col. Younger took up the
role of Divisional Cavalry for the 48th
(South Midlands) Division, the first all
T.A. division and travelled southwards
to Lambourn in Berkshire. Later from
Tidworth (Bhurtpore Barracks) they went
on to embark from Southampton on 11th
January 1940 and on reaching Le Havre,
became the first cavalry regiment of the
first T.A. division to land in France.
Surrounded at St Valery-en-Caux, only 3
officers and 17 other ranks managed to
escape to England.
The
1st Lothians Reformed: 1940 - 1946
The unit was reformed at Bovington,
Dorset, around the nucleus of the
survivors of St. Valery during the
autumn of 1940. The reconstructed
regiment joined the 30th Armoured
Brigade as fourth regiment, along with the 22nd Dragoons and
the Westminster Dragoons, an association
that lasted until the end of the war. In
September 1943, 30th Armoured Brigade
was transferred to the 79th Armoured
Division, known as 'The Funnies'. The
1st Lothians (second line) took over the
Sherman Crab in 1944. The various units
of the 79th were attached to other
formations as circumstances dictated.
Thus the 1st Lothians found themselves
fighting as detached squadrons in
support of various brigades and
divisions of the British,
Canadian and
American Armies. When St. Valery was
taken in September 1944, the massed
pipes and drums of the 51st Highland
Division gave a display of 'beating
retreat' to which
the 1st Lothians pipe-band
were invited as spectators.
The reformed 1st Lothians
chose the much greener shade
of blanco for webbing
equipment and collar badges
were also issued to all
ranks. Sleeve badges made a
reappearance, worn on the
chevrons (rather than above
as in earlier times) by
corporals and sergeants as
an 'optional' extra, Those
WOs who accepted the
privilege, wore the
gold-wire garb beneath their
rank insignia. French-grey
cloth shoulder titles,
bearing 'LOTHIANS & BORDER
YEOMANRY' in yellow
lettering further
distinguished the unit for a
short period after it was
reformed. On joining the
79th Armoured Division,
these were displaced, as
Divisional Orders stipulated
that Royal Armoured Corps
cloth titles would be worn
by all R.A.C. regiments in
the division. In late 1944,
this order was rescinded and
the regimental cloth titles
restored.
