A FUNERAL directors is displaying East Lothian war heroes’ memorabilia.

The display at The Co-operative Funeralcare on Tranent High Street features weapons, medals and uniforms alongside ration books, old photographs and certificates.

From the street window, a model horse can be seen surrounded by poppies and photographs of men who lost their lives in war.

Inside the shop, a larger display can be viewed. A kilt with a Black Watch sporran is surrounded by various military headgear. There are kit bags and gas masks and even a First World War life jacket and a rifle.

Each piece of history has been loaned to the funeral directors by the people of East Lothian and has a local link.

The Rev Joe Ritchie received an MBE for his service to the military after World War Two and it is on display along with his medals. He was a captain in the army and then became the minister of West Parish Church in Haddington, where he remained for 35 years.

The wife of William Learmouth, the great-grandfather of Susan Thomson of Tranent’s Post Ofice, got a letter to say that he was missing in action and then another to say he had been captured as a prisoner of war whilst working for the Royal Engineers in 1941. These are also on display alongside his photograph. William eventually returned home from the war.

Modern uniforms and the photos of several local men who were killed in Afghanistan are also on display.

The funeral director who put the display together, Lee Stewart, 50, said she would like as many people as possible to see the display and did not want anyone to be put off entering the premises because it is a funeral directors.

She said: “I put a call out on Facebook for people to bring in memorabilia and so many people responded.

“We were originally just going to do the window but, after seeing how many people were loaning things, we realised we wouldn’t have enough space and decided to do the inside of the shop too.

“It’s had a great response. We’ve had kids coming in on their way to school and so many people stopping and putting money in the poppy box when they come in.

“I think because there are faces in the window that passers-by can identify with or because it has been their own loved ones that are getting commemorated, so many people have been interested in what we’re doing.”

Lee also managed to borrow a full-sized mannequin horse called ‘Fred’ to commemorate the animals which went to war. Fred is the window.

The display will remain on show until next Sunday (November 17).