Millions of people and animals lost their lives in WW2.
Glen the para-dog
Today, 80 years after D-Day, we remember Private Emile Cortiel, a paratrooper who landed in Normandy on 6th June with his para-dog, Glen. The pair had been tasked with destroying a German gun battery at Merville, prior to Allied forces landing on the beaches just to the north-east.
Unfortunately, the pair were killed by friendly fire. When they were discovered, Glen’s lead was still linked to Cortiel. Cortiel was only 19-years-old.
An inseperable pair
Glen, an Alsatian, had been given to Cortiel to train up and look after. According to veterans, Cortiel and Glen were inseparable. Cortiel’s great nephew says:
“They all said that they were very good together, he worked hard on that dog. I was sad that they were killed."
Glen and Cortiel were buried together in Ranville War Cemetery, Normandy. Cortiel is thought to be the only soldier from World War Two to have been buried with his dog.
