D-Day: The West Country services commemorating 80th anniversary

People have gathered across the West Country to honour the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Tens of thousands of troops left the South West coast to embark on their journey to Normandy in Northern France, for the largest seaborne invasion in history on 6 June 1944.

Today, services have been held across the region to mark the special anniversary and pay tribute to fallen soldiers.

RNAS Yeovilton

'When you go home, tell them of us and say for tomorrow we gave our today.'

The opening words of a service held at the Royal Naval Air Station in Yeovilton.

The event took place in front of a Supermarine Seafire - a type of plane that was used to provide aerial support during the Normandy landings.

Saltash passage

A memorial service was held at Saltash Passage, to mark 80 years since American troops left there for D-Day.

Approximately 30,000 servicemen boarded ships from the slipway underneath the Tamar Bridge on the 6 June 1944.

The ceremony was organised by the Federation of Ex-Services Associations, a small group of people from Saltash who support local veterans.

The Lord Mayor led a delegation of Civic Leaders- with the Royal Navy and ex-service personnel.

George Poad, standard bearer for the RAF police association told ITV West Country: "It's lovely to see people respecting servicemen here and the things they've done.

"In the past, just a few have come to these sorts of things, but this is a big one.

"The services, wherever they are we're a big family. We appreciate people coming down."

Speaking on keeping the memory of D-Day alive, he said: "It's a thing that's got to be kept up forevermore."

Nothe Fort, Dorset

Eighty years ago, one of the main departure points for D-Day was Nothe Fort, near Weymouth.

An exhibition has been specially commissioned there, to commemorate the anniversary.

Nothe Fort protected Weymouth Harbour and Portland Harbour during the Second World War.

A service was also held on Portland this morning.

Royal Wootton Bassett

In Royal Wootton Bassett, tributes were read outside its war memorial this morning and a D-Day flag was raised - ahead of community event at the rugby club on the evening of Thursday 6 June.

For many years, the town had close links with the nearby Royal Air Force base at Lyneham.

In October 2011 it was granted the "Royal" prefix in recognition of the role the town and its people played in the repatriation of UK service men and women killed as a result of war.

Gary Kendall of the Royal British Legion told ITV West Country: "I'm wearing medals that were my Father's.

"He came back from France in 1946. He was there at D-Day."

Falmouth

In Falmouth, a service was held this morning before 80 vessels sailed out to sea from the harbour as part of a flotilla to mark today's anniversary.

Earlier in the day short service, attended by veterans and local school children was held in Kimberly Park in Falmouth.

Wreaths were laid shortly after.