A series of events are set to take place on the Isle of Man today (Thursday) to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

A service of reflection, organised by the Royal British Legion, will take place at St John’s Church starting at 8pm and will be led by Archdeacon the Venerable Irene Cowell. 

Following the service, a ceremony will take place at the War Memorial in St John’s where a beacon will be lit at 9.15pm.

It is part of a network of beacon lighting events taking place across the UK and Allied nations. His Excellency and Lady Lorimer, the President of Tynwald and the Chief Minister, will lay wreaths at the ceremony.

Around the same time, a huge letter ‘D’ will illuminate part of the Carnane estate in Douglas.

A team from the Civil Defence will light-up the display from 9.15pm to 9.45pm using portable LED lights.

A spokesperson for the Civil Defence said the display should be seen from the Douglas area.

Key landmarks such as Douglas Promenade, the Tower of Refuge, the Legislative Buildings, Imperial Buildings and Ramsey Swing Bridge will also be lit in red throughout the day, adding to the tribute across the island.

Earlier this week, both of Port St Mary RNLI’s lifeboats Gough Ritchie II and Frank Martin, came to a stop off Kallow Point as part of an annual memorial service remembering the Manx seafarers who lost their lives during Operation Dynamo in May 1940.

The annual memorial service involves local dignitaries as well as Ellan Vannin Pipes & Drums and hymn singing led by Rushen Silver Band.

Thursday marks the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord which saw tens of thousands of allied soldiers crossed the Channel bound for Normandy to establish a military foothold in France to liberate northwest Europe from the Nazis.

It is the largest amphibious invasions in the history of warfare and is considered to be one of the most decisive military campaigns of the Second World War.