'I'm back to remember mates who were killed I speak their names. I will never forget them'

D-DAY hero Don Turrell fought back tears as he remembered his brave friends who were killed in Normandy 81 years ago.

- By Giles Sheldrick in Normandy

The warrior made it his mission to visit the graves of Rifleman William Carr, 19, and Lance-Serjeant Robert Bremner, 29, who both died on June 26, 1944. As he tenderly touched their headstones, Don, 99, said: "I am back here to remember mates who were killed. I feel close to them. I speak their names aloud. I haven’t forgotten them - and I never will."

His pals lost their lives to mortar fire in the battle for strategic Hill 112 near Caen soon after D-Day.

Don, who saw action with The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), is among a handful of veterans who have returned to France to mark today’s anniversary of the landings.

The invasion saw 156,000 men cross the Channel in 6,000 vessels to storm five German-held beaches.

The resulting carnage is etched in the minds of the few survivors left who, despite their age, still make the pilgrimage to salute those who perished. Don returned to Normandy with five other heroes taken by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans.

With Ron Butcher, 98, he yesterday visited the spot where the fight to liberate Europe and end the Second World War started.

As they sat in contemplation on Juno Beach, they recalled how they did not know if they would make it through the first day.