BRIXHAM Battery supporters are dressing in Second World War American GI uniforms and marching along South Devon's coast tomorrow to commem- orate the death of more than 750 US servicemen in a pre D-Day exercise at Slapton Sands.

Wearing uniforms worn by the troops who took part in the ill-fated Exercise Tiger operation, complete with packs and rifles, the group consisting of organiser ex-RAF serviceman Ade Pitman, Battery chairman Phil Trayhorn and members Andrew White, Stephen Watkins, Jeremy Konsbruck and Jonathan Price, will march from the Sherman Tank memorial at Torcross at 8.45am.

They will walk 12 miles to Dartmouth where they will board the Second World War heritage boat Fairmile for a cruise along the Exercise Tiger coast before it heads back to Brixham.

During the cruise, historians from the heritage centre will be on hand to answer questions from the public about the exercise and the area during the Second World War.

A similar commemor-ative walk last year raised £763 for the ex-forces charity Combat Stress.

Ade hopes this year's sponsored walk will raise even more for the cause.

He said: "Following the success of last year's commemorative march we decided to make it even bigger this year.

"The walking part of the route is about 12 miles — which is a long way in uniform, carrying a heavy rifle and pack.

"This event not only aims to raise money for our wounded heroes, but also seeks to educate people about the part this part of Devon played in the history of the Second World War."

Ade continued: "During the run-up to the D-Day landings, Slapton Sands and the surrounding area, which closely resembled Normandy, was evacuated and used for live firing exercises.

"Farmers and villagers had to sell most of their possessions, and some families never returned to the area.

"As part of a full-scale rehearsal for the Normandy landings, on the night of April 28, 1944 eight Landing Craft Tanks and their lone escort were en-route to Slapton Sands when out of the darkness came a flotilla of nine fast German E-Boats, which attacked the convoy.

"They sunk two LCTs and crippled a third.

"Of the 4,000 men involved in the exercise, nearly a quarter died or were missing.

"The German attack did not stop the exercise and there were further casualties caused by friendly fire on the beach.

"Allied planners were worried about the effect on moral this would have on the troops immediately before the D-Day landings, so the tragedy was covered up with the survivors being split up and sworn to secrecy.

"The casualty figures were later hidden among those from the actual D-Day landings, only weeks later.

"This tragedy became one of the war's best kept secrets until it was revealed to the world almost 40 years later."

The George Inn at Blackawton is kicking off the commemorative weekend with a fancy dress party on Friday evening, where re-enactors from Brixham Battery and local people will relive the sounds of the 1940s in aid of the charity.

To sponsor the group visit www.justgiving.com/exercise-tiger