Overview

• Donald Rose passed away on Friday, July 11, at Canal Vue Care Home in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, at the age of 110
• He enlisted in July 1940 and served with the Desert Rats in North Africa before landing on Normandy beaches on D-Day, where he was wounded in the leg
• In June, Erewash Borough Council bestowed its Freedom of the Borough on Mr Rose in recognition of his wartime service and community presence
• Council leader James Dawson paid tribute to Mr Rose as a ‘‘war hero’’ and offered condolences to his family and all who knew him
• Born on Christmas Eve 1914 in Surrey, Mr Rose attributed his longevity to the salty water of military life, Maltesers and the occasional tot of rum