Honouring the Unknown Sailor: Girvan Town Team Supports VE Day 80 South Ayrshire

At a recent presentation to the Girvan Town Team by Lorna and Ritchie Conaghan of the Girvan & District Great War Project, Trustees and Members unanimously agreed to sponsor a poignant tribute – a silhouette of the “Unknown Sailor.” This figure, part of the VE Day 80 South Ayrshire Field of Heroes initiative, commemorates those who served and sacrificed during times of war.

The Unknown Sailor rests in Girvan’s Doune Cemetery, a solemn reminder of a tragic wartime event. He was one of 33 crew members killed when HMS Godetia sank on 6th September 1940, just off the coast of the Mull of Kintyre. The Godetia, a Royal Navy corvette, had collided with the Marsa, a merchant vessel, between Altacarry Head and the southwestern tip of the Mull.

Of the 33 sailors lost, twelve were identified and laid to rest: eight in Girvan, two in Ballantrae, one in Stranraer, and one in Farlington. Three others were buried without identification—two in Girvan and one in Ballantrae. The remaining crew were, sadly, lost to the sea.

The Girvan Town Team is proud to support this important commemorative project, and continues to stand with the Girvan & District Great War Project in preserving and honouring the stories of our local history.

This act of remembrance reflects the community’s deep respect for those who served—and especially for those whose names and stories were lost to the sea, but whose legacy endures.