MEMBERS of Girvan and District Great War Project will see a decade of fund-raising come to fruition when they unveil a permanent memorial to 31 French sailors.

The sailors lost their lives at sea, off the northern shore of Corsewall Lighthouse, back in 1917.

Twenty family members of the stricken sailors, with representatives of Souvenir Francais Finistere and Association aux Marin, will cross the shores from France to Ayrshire to attend the poignant ceremony in Girvan Doune Cemetery at 11am on Saturday.

They will be joined by the First Minister John Swinney, French Consul General Stéphane Pailler and French Naval attache Captain Marc Woodcock, alongside Colonel John Dalrymple Hamilton OBE TD, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran as well as members of the public and children from three local schools - Girvan Academy, Girvan Primary School and Sacred Heart Primary School.

The French navy will also be joining in the service, as the crew of PSP Famant will visit the site of the Longwy wreck to lay wreaths at sea before joining the congregation for the dedication service.

The French Merchant Steamer Longwy was sunk on November 4, 1917, whilst en route from Bilbao to Glasgow after being torpedoed by the German U-Boat UC-75, just off the northern shore of Corsewall Lighthouse, killing all 31 crew members.

The bodies of three sailors later washed up near Girvan and were laid to rest in Doune Cemetery.

In 1924, the body of Captain Joseph Huet was exhumed and repatriated to France, with Adolphe Harre and Samuel Brajeul eternally resting in Girvan.

For the past decade, the Girvan and District Great War Project engaged with the French authorities with the aim of having a permanent memorial erected in their honour.

In the last few months their efforts have paid off with the £12,000 fund-raising target being met.

The memorial will include all 31 names and occupations of those on board, and will be placed carefully on the former grave of the Captain, flanked by the two existing crosses.

Dr Claire Armstrong OBE, chief executive officer of the Royal British Legion Scotland, said: “The Royal British Legion Scotland are very proud to be custodians of Remembrance in Scotland, we are very pleased to be able to support the Girvan and District Great War project as their efforts to have a memorial installed in Girvan Doune Cemetery comes to an end.

“The memorial will be dedicated by our National Chaplain Dr The Rev Karen Campbell to commemorate and honour the 31 Crew of the French Merchant Steamer Longwy which was torpedoed on the 4th of November, 1917, with the loss of all hands on board.

“We will remember them.”