Imagine having to pack up your belongings and leave your home so it could be given over to servicemen preparing for assaults into Europe.

That's exactly what happened in 1943 as the Americans came over in bulk to lend their weight to the combined Allied forces in World War II.

Many areas of the South Hams were evacuated both to provide housing for the troops and also to ease the possibility of civilian casualties should the Germans decide to attack the newly housed troops.

The Blackawton and Strete History Society are now hoping to get some of those evacuees together for a VE Day reunion.

Slapton Beach was the scene of practice landings by American troops.

There will be a service of remembrance in St Michaels Church in Blackawton at 11.00am on 8th May followed by a free lunch for anyone who was evacuated from the area in 1943.

The planned reunion follows a similar event in 2004 to commemorate VJ Day.

"We suddenly realised the South Hams wasn't doing anything for VJ Day so we said let's have a party," said Rosie Mussen, honorary secretary of the Blackawton and Strete History Society.

"We didn't get many people because we didn't manage to advertise it much but those who were there were chatting and it was brilliant.

"People hadn't seen each other for years and the ones who didn't find out about it said it was a shame and they would have loved to come."

So if more people had known, more people would have come... all of a sudden an idea was born.

The money for the VJ celebrations had come from lottery charity Home Front and the society decided to try their luck and ask for a second grant on the premise if you don't ask, you don't get.

VE Day in 1945

"Home Front had sponsored our first get-together," said Rosie.

"As we hadn't spent all the money we'd been given we went back to them and asked 'can we have another party?'"

Thankfully for the society Home Front agreed and the VE Day reunion was spawned.

"It's not about celebrating war but celebrating peace in our time, what we have of it," said Rosie, who remembers the surprise visitor the last time a celebration was held.

"On the 60th anniversary of D-Day we were doing B&B and we were visited by an American who was here during the war.

"He wanted to meet some of the people who'd left their homes to thank them. He met the villagers and made their sacrifice worthwhile.

"It was a sacrifice, imagine picking up all your belongings and moving away from your home, they only had two months to do it in."

It's the first time the society have hosted a May Day reunion for VE Day and they're hoping to forge some more links.

"We're trying to contact as many evacuees who had to leave their homes as possible," said Rosie.

"We're also hoping to find evacuees who came to this part of the country and became a part of the community, it's all about making contacts within the history of the area."

The group are also hoping to get hold of any black and white photographs of the villages of Blackawton and Strete from the 40s that they can use in a planned archive of the area.

Any evacuee from the area or anyone with an archive photo is invited to contact Rosie Mussen on 01803 712260 or Pam Willis on 07967 009417.