Donald Turrell, a Second World War veteran who fought in the Normandy campaign after lying about his age, has died aged 101, the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans has announced. He passed away on Friday, surrounded by his family, according to a Facebook post by the charity on Saturday.
Enlisting at 17 with a forged letter
Born in London in 1925, Turrell was just 17 when he enlisted in the Army, having forged a letter from his parents. He joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and was stationed at various locations across the UK, including Bury St Edmunds, Newquay, Newcastle, and Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.
In an interview last year, Turrell recalled: "I did lie about my age. I pushed it up a bit, gave all the right answers, and I was in. I was happy." He added: "I was 17. I told them I was 18. I wrote a letter out saying that 'To whom it my concern, the bearer of this letter is my son, Donald Turrell blah, blah, blah'."
From Sword Beach to injury in Normandy
His battalion crossed to France in June 1944, days after D-Day, landing on Sword Beach before taking part in fierce fighting against German troops. Turrell described feeling "excited and apprehensive" during the crossing, and said his "introduction" to war was seeing bodies from earlier fighting washing back up on the beach.
His war ended on July 10, 1944, when he was seriously injured during fighting near the town of Eterville and later medically discharged. He spoke movingly of close friends lost during the campaign, some of whom he buried in the field; they are now buried in Commonwealth war cemeteries on the continent.
Family and charity pay tribute
His children, Andrew Turrell and Linda Baker, said in a statement: "He was an extraordinary man, a loving father and someone who will be deeply missed by all of us who had the privilege of knowing him." They added: "Dad's life was full, meaningful and filled with experiences that few could ever imagine. His courage, warmth, humour and kindness touched so many lives, and his legacy will live on through the stories and memories of everyone who knew him."
Dick Goodwin, vice president of the Taxi Charity, said: "Don was incredibly special. He had a warmth and presence that lit up every room he entered, and he touched the lives of so many people." He added: "As a Second World War veteran, Don represented a generation whose courage and service we will never forget. It was a privilege for the Taxi Charity to know him, and he will be remembered with enormous affection and gratitude."
The war also claimed Turrell's older brother Leslie, a telegraphist on HMS Penelope, who died when the ship was sunk off the Italian coast near Naples in February 1944. Turrell previously lived in Frinton-on-Sea in Essex.
