The Royal British Legion will be marking VE-Day-80, the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe on Thursday May 8 with special commemorations.
A spokesman for the Torquay RBL explained: "To a large extent this was due to the successful Allied invasion of northern Europe the previous year.
"We paid tribute last year, in the D-Day-80 event, to those veterans who took part in the D-Day landings of June 6 and beyond and remembered particularly those who never returned.
"This year, as well as celebrating VE-Day, we will again be remembering those veterans who took part in the D-Day landings. This year’s annual service will be preceded by the unveiling of two Information boards overlooking the two D-Day ramps."
It will signal the culmination of a project instigated and directed by Grenville Stewart Fletcher, Torquay Coastal Volunteers founder member, who explains: "It was last July when my wife and I attended the excellent D-Day 80 exhibition at the museum. I was fascinated by a loop of old US military film shot in June 1944 just three days before D-Day.
"The opening scenes featured American troops at Brixham harbour in their preparations for D-Day. Most of the film footage however was shot in and around Torquay harbour. It showed American troops assembling in front of the Hotel Regina and marching down these ramps and onto landing craft.
"Other sequences showed the landing craft moving towards the harbour exit and into the bay where men and equipment were transferred to warships that would take them to the main assembly point near the Isle of Wight.
" I came away from that exhibition with a vision of having still-images from this film displayed directly above the ramps so that viewers would be able to visualise for themselves the events depicted in the photos.
"I believed that this would bring history alive to the many visitors who stroll along that part of the harbour or who queue for ferries. That history is part of our local and national heritage and it is important that residents and visitors, particularly young people, are aware of that."
A successful application was made for a grant from the Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme. This was done under the sponsorship of Torquay Coastal Volunteers.
Grenville Stewart Fletcher says: "Our work is normally centred on the approaches to Peaked Tor Cove and Beacon Cove where our aim is to improve the visitor experience by keeping the footpaths tidy and maintaining the gardens with the support of Torbay Communities and Ceri Silk (Town Centre Community Builder) .
" It seemed reasonable for TCV to sponsor this project in the hope that these information boards will, in a small way, add to the experience of visitors to the harbour.
"I should stress that these information boards are in no way intended to compete with the information on the Memorial plaques. Indeed, viewers are encouraged to refer to the Memorial for more details. I would like to express my thanks to Enigma Designs Ltd for translating my ideas into the finished articles, Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme for their award from the Lottery Fund, Wellswood and Tormohun councillors for further funding.
The timings for the unveiling and Embarkation Service are Beacon Quay at 10.30 am at the ramp opposite the D-Day Memorial with an unveiling ceremony by the Lord Lieutenant of Devon. 11am, D-Day Memorial, Embarkation Service and laying of wreaths
