IT was a weekend of pride tinged with sadness for the thousands of people who turned out on the south coast to take part in a variety of services to commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

A Second World War Lancaster bomber signalled the start of the remembrance service in Gosport.

Circling and swooping low off Stokes Bay on Saturday morning it was joined by two Spitfire fighter planes for a formal flypast at the start of what was for many an emotional weekend.

Crowds of both young and old gazed out into the Solent as the aircraft flew over the tail end of a flotilla of ships carrying D-Day veterans from Portsmouth to Normandy in a historic re-enactment of the 1944 crossings.

Then it was on to Stokes Bay, where many thousands of troops embarked for France.

At 11am a cannon, fired from the top of Stokes Bay Sailing Club, marked the start of a minute's silence before a bugler sounded The Last Post.

A group of about 25 D-Day veterans were applauded as they marched past behind a 24-man guard of today's serving soldiers from HMS Sultan in Gosport.

For the veterans it was a day of mixed emotions - mostly pride but tinged with sadness for the friends and relatives they lost.

Mayor of Gosport Cllr Iris Binfield then led guests, including the Canadian High Commissioner Mel Cappe and a 300-strong crowd in a service of remembrance and thanksgiving.

She said: "Gosport played a distinguished and vital part for the greatest sea-borne invasion in the history of the world."

Cllr Binfield then recounted how in 1944 Stokes Bay and Gosport was nicknamed Piccadilly Circus, such was the level of activity. She said there were 39 centres of D-Day activity in the Gosport borough and on the morning of June 6 more than 7,000 ships jammed the Solent. It was said you could walk to the Isle of Wight without getting your feet wet by clambering from ship to ship.

From the shingle beaches of Stokes Bay more than 20,000 tonnes of explosives, 100 tonnes of meat and 2,000 tonnes of water were embarked on to ships bound for the Normandy beaches.

Before they departed, many of the young troops joined in a football match against the Gosport Fire Brigade.

The mayor's chaplain, Rev John Draper led prayers supported by the Gosport Silver Band.

In bright sunshine yesterday, the mayor of Fareham unveiled a new plaque to accompany the existing D-Day memorial first unveiled by the Countess of Burma 20 years ago on the 40th remembrance.

More than 500 people gathered on Warsash shore to remember the 3,000 troops that left there on June 6, 1944, heading for the Normandy beaches.

The explanatory plaque describes the events in Warsash including how the 220, 201 and 202 Landing Craft Flotillas sailed from there.

Led by a piper, the civic guests included Fareham's Chief inspector Kerry Bedford, Commodore Adrian Nance of HMS Collingwood, leader of Fareham Council Sean Woodward and Fareham MP Mark Hoban.

Cllr Ellerton spoke of her delight at seeing so many younger people attending the ceremony as well as veterans.

She said: "This ground had a vital role in securing our futures."

Veterans returning to the shoreline included William Birt, from Colchester, who set sail from Warsash aged 19.

Meanwhile D-Day veterans gathered at Artsway Art Gallery in Sway to recount their stories alongside Desmond Swayne MP, who described his recent experiences serving in Iraq.

About 400 veterans marched past at the D-Day Stone on Southsea Seafront yesterday at a parade and commemorative service. Many of the ex-servicemen acted as standard bearers during the ceremony.

The Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Mary Fagan, and the Deputy Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Elaine Baker, laid the first wreaths.

The Royal Marines Portsmouth band provided the music as more than 1,000 people lined the streets, and watched from balconies during the hour-long service and parade.

The service was conducted by local church leaders including Canon Bob White, chaplain to the Portsmouth branch of the Royal British Legion.

Canon White told those gathered: "If we are to truly honour them then we must also look forward, to learn the lessons from the past, to continue to strive for those things that they fought and died for."

D-DAY - 60 YEARS ON: 16-pages of reports and pictures saluting the heroes of 1944 in today's Daily Echo.