Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock MP Allan Dorans has paid a moving tribute to the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commision in the House of Commons.

And the SNP MP revealed he had used the group's services to locate the grave of his own great uncle.

Mr Dorans also spoke highly about the work carried out by the Girvan and District Great War Project, which helped identify and honour men who had not yet been added to local war memorials.

He told Parliament: "Like other Members, I pay tribute to the fantastic work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which maintains, manages and preserves war graves in more than 23,000 locations in 150 countries, and more than 1.1 million headstones across the world.

"The War Graves Commission offers a wonderfully unique service to enable people to identify family members who have been killed in conflicts, and to locate their last resting place, memorial or headstone."

The MP revealed: "I have benefited from that by being able to identify my great uncle, Corporal William Dorans, who in 1914 was an Army reservist and was called to the colours on the outbreak of war, and served in the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers.

"He took part in the first battle of Ypres against the German army, involving both offensive and defensive actions, including bombardments and brutal hand-to-hand fighting, which resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides.

"On November 13, 1914, Corporal Dorans was sadly officially reported missing in action and believed dead. His body was never recovered from the quagmire that was the battlefield.

"He is commemorated with honour at the Ypres Menin Gate memorial, along with more than 54,580 other servicemen from the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries killed in that area who have no known graves.

"I visited Menin Gate a few years ago to pay my respects to my great uncle and all other members of the armed forces who gave their lives for their country."

Ayr Advertiser: Allan Dorans MP at the unveiling of the Girvan war memorial

The MP continued: "Closer to home, I commend and bring to the attention of the House the work of the Girvan and District Great War Project.

"It was established in 2013 by a couple, Lorna and Ritchie Conaghan, both unpaid volunteers, initially to research and identify local men who left the area to go to war and never returned.

"Through their tremendous efforts researching, identifying and recording at least 450 local men, wherever possible they have produced individual service records for each of the men, which are available to their families as a tribute to their service and sacrifice.

"They included a number who had not previously been commemorated on local war memorials, including the local men who had lost their lives in the armed forces while serving in the armies of Commonwealth countries, including Australia and Canada.

"It is absolutely fabulous, and it has also initiated numerous other local projects, including the erection of memorial benches, exhibitions of wartime uniforms and weapons, and a memorial wildflower garden."

He also praised the work to set up a memorial in Girvan to the 31 French sailors who sank when their merchant ship was torpedoed off the coast in 1917. It should be completed by October.

And he concluded: "The best and most effective way of ensuring that these memories are not lost is to educate, which needs to be done in a manner that is accessible and relevant to children so that they can recognise the sacrifice made by so many to enable us to enjoy the precious freedoms that we have today."