IT WAS the biggest seaborne invasion the world had ever seen.

More than 130,000 troops took part in the D-Day landings, which heralded the liberation of Europe and marked the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

Towns and cities along the south coast played a key role in the Normandy invasion, which was codenamed Operation Overlord.

Now plans to build a D-Day memorial at Stokes Bay, Gosport, have been unveiled.

The scheme includes a semi-circular memorial space and memorial stones representing each of the D-Day beaches, plus flagpoles and a seating area.

Stokes Bay was one of the sites where huge concrete caissons were built before being towed to Normandy, where they formed the famous Mulberry Harbours.

It was also used as a training area during the run-up to the invasion as well as an embarkation point.

The proposed memorial will built beside Stokes Bay Sailing Club, which occupies a seafront building that was used to control operations.

Older residents can recall seeing Normandy-bound tanks lined up nose-to-tail along roads in the town. As D-Day approached Gosport was visited by King George VI, Winston Churchill and General Montgomery.

The planning application says: "The memorial will serve as historical touchstones linking the past to the present and enabling the community to remember and respect the sacrifices of those who participated in WWII and other conflicts."

"It is intended that the memorial will represent a focal point for the community, particularly on occasions such as Remembrance Sunday or anniversary events."