D-Day talks to 'pass the torch of remembrance'

The are 21 sites around the island that hold war graves, including Douglas Borough Cemetery

A series of talks to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings have been designed to "pass the torch" of remembrance, a representative of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has said.

The commission has invited local businesses, schools and community groups to book onto its series of Legacy of Liberation sessions.

The talks will cover the island's war graves and the stories of individuals who died, as well as the local significance of grave markers and memorials.

Michael Josem, who is a local representative for the commission, said that the sessions were about making sure "as World War Two fades from living memory, we can pass the torch on to the next generation".

The organisation commemorates and maintains the graves of those who died around the world during World War One and WW2, including the Isle of Man.

The headstones are maintained by local volunteers for the commission

The D-Day landings are considered one of the greatest triumphs by the Allied forces during WW2.

The assault saw 156,000 troops land on the coast of France and led to the liberation of the northern part of the country.

Mr Josem said the work of the commission, which operates in 150 countries and territories, was about "maintaining and honouring the various gravestones that people might see" as well as turning them "into life stories".

The graves of 363 servicemen and servicewomen from WW1 and WW2 are located across 21 locations on the island.

However, as individuals tended to be buried where they died, there were a "relatively small number" of Manx casualties among those, Mr Josem said.

The series of talks, which will be hosted throughout the year and last about an hour, can be booked online.