"One of the last survivors of the assault on the D-Day beaches in 1944 has died aged 101, his family has said. Cecil Newton from Aldbourne, Wiltshire, who served in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, died in his sleep on Thursday. Aged just 20 years old when he boarded a landing craft at Lepe Beach in the New Forest, his amphibious Sherman Tank was among the first to land on Gold Beach on June 6 1944. His son, Paul Newton, 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 blockhouse 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. But Mr Newton 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. Fragments of the bullets were still lodged in his chest." D-Day veteran who still had Nazi bullet in chest dies aged 101
