Corteil, Emile Servais, born 1925 in London,
as son of Servais and Jessie Amelia Corteil, Watford, Hertfordshire was a dog handler with the 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment
of the 6th British Airborne Division, nickname “Red Devils”
the 9th Battalion under command of Major General Eric Bols
. Bols died at his home at Peppering Eye, near Battle, East Sussex on 14-06-1985, at the age of 81. The 6th Airborne under command of General Sir Richard Nelson “Windy” Gale 
General Sir Bernard Montgomery
(right) talking to Major-General Richard Gale and Brigadier Joseph Howard Nigel Nigel Poett.
Both men had just been decorated by Lieutenant General Omar Nelson “Brad” Bradley,
commanding the U.S. First Army, on behalf of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at General Montgomery’s HQ in Normandy, 13-07-1944. Brigadier General Poett survived the war and died 29-10-1991 (aged 84). General Sir Richard Nelson “Windy” Gale also survived the war and died 29-07-1982 (aged 86) in Kingston upon Thames, London, England.










In Ranville Cemetery, 2,567 victims are buried under pristine white stones. Behind the northern church wall there are also several fallen men from the first two days of the landing, including Lieutenant Den Brotheridge is known as the first soldier to die by enemy fire during D-Day. He was killed at Pegasus Bridge. A lone unknown German soldier is also buried here. To the east of the church is a town hall with library. At the end, near the library, there is a bust of Major-General Richard Nelson “Windy” Gale. Gale, commander of the 6th Airborne Division, had flown in on the #70 glider around 3:30 a.m. and brought his headquarters to Ranville. Along the way, a stray white horse was confiscated and used by Gale. Later, the animal would inadvertently save his life by standing between Gale and a falling mortar round.
After nine days of fighting in Holland,
the shattered remains of the 6th Airborne forces were eventually withdrawn south of the Rhine. The 1st Airborne Division, under command of Major-General Elliott Roy Urquhart ,
had lost 8.000 men during the battle and never saw combat again. Urquhart died on 13-12-1988, aged 87, Menteith, Perthshire, Scotland. Two American and one British Airborne divisions spearheaded the invasion of Normandy on D-Day
. The 6th British Airborne Division was tasked to seize and hold the left flank of the British sea-borne assault due to land at dawn on the 6th June. It was to capture the Orne River and Canal bridges at Benouville, destroy the heavy German coastal battery at Merville overlooking the Orne Estuary and blow bridges across the flooded River Dives to the east to prevent German reinforcements moving against the Invasion bridgehead.
Private Emile Corteil
made the D-Day jump with his dog “Glenn”
on the early hours of 6 June 1944 in the Orne River Valley to secure the flanks of the landings and knock out the Merville Battery which imposed a threat to the British landing beaches. Corteil and Glenn were among the many who missed their night time landing zone. Corteil, Glenn and the other Paratroopers were making their way to the rallying point to attack the Merville Battery.








He joined a group led by Brigadier Stanley “James” Edger Hill






Death and burial ground of Corteil, Emile Servais.








It is therefore quite unique that a dog is given to its companion. There is, however, an appreciation for animals that have committed themselves several times during wars. The highest award for British soldiers is Victoria Cross, for animals this is the Dickin Medal.
The Dickin Medal was conceived by the founder of the PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) in 1943 to honor animals for their efforts. It is a bronze medal with the words “For Gallatry” and “We also Serve”. Until 1949 the medal was awarded to 32 pigeons, 3 horses, 1 (ship) cat and 18 dogs. In 2000 the medal was re-introduced and 11 dogs were added, plus 1 to the horses who had given their lives in the First World War. The last one was on a horse in 2016 that had helped American Marines by only delivering goods 51 times during the Korean War. Glen, the paradog, has not received a Dickin Medal, but does rest with his supervisor Emile Corteil.



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