D-Day veteran and tank crewman Cecil Newton dies aged 101

One of the last survivors of the assault on the D-Day beaches in 1944 has died, his family has said.

Aged 101 Cecil Newton, from Aldbourne, in Wiltshire, who served in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday.

Aged 20, after boarding a landing craft at Lepe Beach in the New Forest, his amphibious Sherman Tank was among the first to land on Gold Beach on 6 June 1944.

His son, Paul Newton, who passed on the news of his death to friends, said: “Thank you all for your friendship for my father and for supporting his efforts to remember those of the 4/7 RDG who did not come back.”

Mr Newton’s tank crew was in action for just a few minutes after landing on Gold Beach in Normandy.

Their objective was to knock out a German block-house that was defending the beach.

The tank was among several not to make it off the beach when it sank in a water-filled shell hole, but all the crew got out.

They were later among the first British troops to enter the city of Lille.

However Mr Newtown was severely wounded when his tank came under attack in a German village in November 1944.

He suffered a serious leg injury and was shot three times as he got out of his tank.

In June 2024, Mr Newton travelled back to France to take part in the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations.

He also visited a French school named after him and some of the places his comrades fell in battle.