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Funeral celebrates life of much-loved D-Day veteran

Steve Humphrey & Sophie Parker
BBC News, Wiltshire
BBC Cecil Newton, an elderly white male wearing thing black framed glasses and a hearing aid, with a red cravat and green tweed blazer sitting in his armchairBBC
Cecil Newton said he was "exceptionally lucky to survive" after being shot in Germany

The funeral of one of the last survivors of the assault on the D-Day beaches in 1944 has been held at Wiltshire crematorium.

Cecil Newton, from the village of Aldbourne and died at the age of 101, was 20 years old on D-Day when he was part of a tank crew sent to attack a German blockhouse. His amphibious Sherman Tank was among the first to land on Gold Beach on 6 June.

Described as "feisty, driven, a little bit mischievous", he was involved in the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations, and even had a French school named after him.

Major Graeme Green, the regimental secretary for the Royal Dragoon Guards, described Mr Newton as a "great guy" who always had a "little glint in his eye".

He added that Mr Newton was "driven to commemorate his fallen comrades".

At the funeral earlier at North Wiltshire Crematorium, near Royal Wootton Bassett, a message was played from the Cecil Newton Primary School in Normandy.

Cecil Newton Old black and white picture of Cecil Newton and his comrades in the Royal Dragoon GuardsCecil Newton
Mr Newton served in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and worked as a loader in the crew of an amphibious Sherman Tank

Mr Newton was a trooper in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and a loader in an amphibious Sherman Tank crew.

"I was never nervous. I was too young to be nervous. I hadn't got the imagination," he said in a BBC interview about D-day.

Along with his crew, he was in action for just a few moments.

"It was just off the landing craft into the water, an engagement with the blockhouse and then we sank," he said.

Later in the war, in November 1944, he was severely wounded with a leg injury and was shot three times when his tank came under attack in a German village.

He described himself as "exceptionally lucky to survive" the later attack.

Amongst those he knew who died in the war was Mr Newton's brother Frederic - shot dead by two Germans who raised their hands to surrender, but then opened fire.

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.

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