A Second World War veteran who fought in the Normandy campaign after lying about his age has died aged 101, a charity has said.

Born in London in 1925, Donald Turrell was just 17 when he enlisted in the Army, having forged a letter from his parents.

He joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and in the following months was stationed at various places around the UK, including Bury St Edmunds, Newquay, Newcastle and Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.

His battalion crossed over to France in June 1944 in the days following D-Day, and Mr Turrell landed on Sword Beach before taking part in fierce fighting against occupying German troops.

On Saturday, the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans said in a post on Facebook it was “deeply saddened” to share that Mr Turrell had died on Friday, surrounded by his family.

Paying tribute to the veteran, vice president for the charity Dick Goodwin 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.

“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.

“My thoughts are with his family and all those who loved him at this very sad time.”

In an interview last year, Mr Turrell said of signing up to the army: “I did lie about my age. I pushed it up a bit, gave all the right answers, and I was in. I was happy.”

“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’.”

He explained he had always wanted to be a soldier and that like “all the young lads” he had wanted to play his part in defending his country.

The veteran described feeling “excited and apprehensive” during the crossing to the Normandy coast, and said his “introduction” to the war was seeing bodies from earlier fighting washing back up on the beach as he landed.

His war came to an end a few weeks later on July 10, when he was seriously injured during fighting near the town of Eterville, and later medically discharged.

Mr Turrell spoke movingly of the close friends he lost during the campaign, some of whom he buried in the field, and who are now buried in Commonwealth war cemeteries on the continent.

The war also claimed his older brother Leslie, who had been a telegraphist on HMS Penelope and died when she was sunk off the Italian coast near Naples in February 1944.

The veteran previously lived in Frinton-on-Sea in Essex.