Don Turrell, a World War II veteran who lied about his age to enlist and later took part in the D-Day landings, has died at the age of 101. Turrell, who was only 17 when he joined the military, forged a letter from his parents to claim he was 18, the minimum age for service. At 18, he landed on Sword Beach in Normandy shortly after June 6, 1944, during one of the most critical phases of the Allied invasion.

Turrell faced intense German resistance upon landing. According to Dick Goodwin of the Taxi Charity For Military Veterans, Turrell was instructed to expect a dry landing but instead found himself wading into water up to his neck. He was surrounded by the bodies of soldiers who had fallen in the earlier assault, which underscored the perilous conditions on the battlefield. During the fighting, Turrell sustained serious injuries and reportedly used his rifle as a crutch to move away from the front lines.

Following his wounds, Turrell was medically discharged from the military. He went on to live in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. He is survived by a daughter and a son. Turrell’s passing marks the loss of one of the remaining veterans who directly participated in the Normandy landings.