Dumfries and Galloway Merchant Navy Association

The Dumfries and Galloway Merchant Navy Association now have a lasting memorial to the men and women who served our country during two World Wars - and into the present. During times of conflict more than 80,000 merchant seafarers lost their lives whilst serving as volunteers on mostly unarmed ships.

Photo credit: Pod Scotland

It was Winston Churchill who called them the 4th Force, alongside the 3 Armed Forces - and now there is a dramatic sandstone monument in Dumfries’s Dock Park to remember their sacrifice. Fiona Armstrong, Lord-Lieutenant of Dumfries, unveiled the memorial which is shaped like a ship. Archie Dryburgh, Dumfries and Galloway Armed Forces Champion, was master of ceremonies, and Captain Alistair Brown gave the commemoration address. Representatives form the People’s Project and council members, including the Provost, were also in attendance.