Veteran who lied about age to join up tells of ‘relief’ at learning war was over

A 99-year-old veteran who fought in the Normandy campaign after lying about his age has spoken of his “relief” at learning the war in Europe had come to an end.

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

“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 said.

“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.

He joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and in the ensuing 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.

The veteran described feeling “excited and apprehensive” during the crossing, 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.

The 99-year-old recalled that his unit had been fighting a group of Germans who he said had been “leading” them to an area of woodland, before finding themselves pinned down by heavy fire.

“They put up a heavy barrage of bullets, machine guns, mortars and everything,” he recalled.

“We were static. When all that’s going on, you’re not looking around seeing where it’s coming from.

“You keep down (in a) foetal position, and that’s when I got walloped on the left side.”

He explained that using his rifle as a crutch he had “staggered” back to platoon headquarters where “carriers” were sent to evacuate them.

He continued: “And while we were laying on the carriers, more shells came down and hit us there.

“One driver I knew … went up in the air. Well he was dead before he hit the ground. And that was another shock.

“I’m waiting for the next one to come for me, but no, I said to the driver – his name was Cameron – ‘Let’s get out of here'”.

He added: “And that put me out of the Army. That was my Army career gone.”

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, who lives on Frinton-on-Sea in Essex, has since been out to visit his friends’ graves with the aid of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, and said he hopes to return to Scotland with the charity later this year.

As well as visiting sites linked to his war service, including the Cameronian barracks in Hamilton, he said he wants to see places associated with his Scottish mother.

“My mother came from Scotland”, he explained.

“She came from Dunfermline, and she always told me about how Scotland is, and there is a photograph in a family somewhere where she’s doing the Highland fling.

“I’d like to go up there and see how she lived and all that, and Scotland itself.”

Asked about his memories of the original VE Day in 1945, the 99-year-old said with a chuckle: “I was in a pub, naturally”.

“I never heard a Churchill speech or anything, but I knew the war was over.

“So I met all the local lads who were in my class, and those who were on leave, etc and we had a damned good time.

“But I wasn’t going to go up to London to Trafalgar Square because I was on crutches.

“I’d been wounded and I’d been pushed and shoved about, so I stayed local and (had a) really good time.”

He added: “It was a relief, because I was alive.”

Dick Goodwin, vice-president of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, said: “It is a pleasure to get to know WWII veterans like Don. He has been on our trips to the Netherlands and Normandy as well as joining us for events across the UK.

“Our ambassador Johnny Gallagher and his great friend WWII veteran Dorothea Barron recently launched the Our Heroes Fund so that we can continue to support the greatest generation and where possible help to make their last dreams and wishes come true.”