One of the last surviving D-Day veterans dies aged 100

Survivor of Normandy landings, who denied being a hero, had campaigned for memorial to ensure fallen comrades remembered

One of the last surviving D-Day veterans has died at the age of 100.

Joe Cattini, who was one of the thousands of Allied troops that launched the Normandy landings in the second world war, died on Tuesday evening, three months after celebrating his centenary.

Sarah Burr, his granddaughter, said on Twitter: “A life so well lived. One of the last D-Day veterans left. We are so proud of him and loved him so much.”

Veteran Joe Cattini in 2021 (Getty)

Mr Cattini, who was in the army from 1941 to 1946, had been part of the huge assault by American, British and Canadian troops when they stormed 50 miles of the French coast to begin liberating Europe on 6 June 1944.

That day, aged 21, he landed on Normandy’s Gold Beach and drove in an ammunition truck.

The veteran from Hampshire told the BBC in 2019: “I landed here on D-Day at 10am and the beach was littered with dead, wounded, prisoners of war and also destroyed vehicles and craft.

“There were things floating in the water that you don’t want to remember.”

Asked what his message for today’s leaders was, he said: “Don’t ever start another war – keep the peace because you don’t know what war brings. It’s very traumatic and it only brings grief to others.”

In a separate, resurfaced clip, he said those who died were the heroes because they gave their lives for their country and those who survived were lucky.

Mr Cattini met Princess Beatrice in 2019 (Getty Images)

According to the British Normandy Memorial trust, “Joe’s life changed when he joined the group D-Day Revisited to return to Normandy for the 70th anniversary.

“In 2014, he also began visiting Eindhoven as part of the Market Garden commemorations.

“In 2019, he was present at the inauguration of the British Normandy Memorial, after having been appointed ambassador.”

He campaigned for the continuing support of the memorial to ensure his fallen comrades were never forgotten.

Ms Burr said: “We were so incredibly lucky that we had the chance to collect his memories over the past nine years when so many of his generation never spoke of what they went through.”

Only a handful of D-Day veterans survive and gather each year on the Normandy beaches to remember fallen comrades.

The British Normandy Memorial Trust said it was “so sad” to learn of Mr Cattini’s passing.

Menna Rawlings, the UK ambassador to France, said she learnt of his death with great sadness, and recalled that she loved meeting him at the Normandy memorial last year.