The soldier and para-dog buried together after D-Day

Emile Cortiel died on D-Day, aged 19

A man who was killed during the D-Day landings is thought to be the only soldier from World War Two to have been buried with his "para-dog".

Private Emile Cortiel, who was from Essex, joined the paratroopers aged 18 in 1943, and was reported to be “a lively and high-spirited young man”.

He was given Parachute Regiment Canine Glen to look after while on base and the pair parachuted into northern Normandy on D-Day, but were both killed. They were still linked by Glen’s lead when discovered.

Pte Corteil's great nephew, Trevor Corteil, who is from Addlestone in Surrey, said he was proud of his uncle.

On D-Day, Pte Cortiel and Glen were tasked with destroying a German gun battery at Merville, prior to Allied forces landing on the beaches just to the north-east.

They landed in Normandy at about 01:00 BST on 6 June but were reportedly killed by friendly fire.

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“He was a bit of a scallywag, he got up to mischief,” said Trevor Corteil, Pte Cortiel’s great nephew, from Addlestone in Surrey.

“They gave him the dog to train up and look after. We don’t know exactly what he was training for but I do feel proud.”

Mr Corteil was told by veterans who knew his great uncle that Pte Cortiel and Glen were inseparable.

“They all said that they were very good together, he worked hard on that dog. I was sad that they were killed.

"I would have liked to have known how far they would have got through the war,” said Mr Corteil.

Pte Cortiel had no children. He and Glen are buried together in Ranville War Cemetery, Normandy.

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