A Royal Navy sailor who was reported dead during the Second World War has celebrated his 100th birthday. Morrell Murphy, from Lisburn, was on board HMS Capel when it was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1944.

Four days after the attack, his family was informed that Murphy had been killed. The family even received a letter of condolence from King George VI, but soon after Morel knocked on the door of the family home.

He now lives in County Down and his niece Jennifer organized a party for his 100th birthday.

"It is hard to believe that I am 100 years old now. "It's hard to believe that I survived all these years, but I still enjoy life," he told BBC.

Morrell joined the Royal Navy on St Patrick's Day 1942, aged 19, as the Second World War raged. In December 1944 he survived a German attack in the English Channel that killed more than 70 of his fellow crewmen on HMS Capel.

He was rescued by the US Navy and taken to France to recover. He was told that the British army had declared him dead.

When he arrived unannounced at his parents' home the following month, they didn't believe it was him.

"There were tears of joy when they opened the door and found out it was me. I remember my sister running to tell my cousins ​​and my uncle and aunt that I was okay,” he said.