Portuguese Volunteers

Discussions on all aspects of the Spanish Civil War including the Condor Legion, the Germans fighting for Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
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Charm000
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Joined: 31 Dec 2002, 14:40
Location: London, England

Portuguese Volunteers

#1

Post by Charm000 » 19 Jun 2003, 12:32

Does anyone have any idea how many Portuguese volunteers fought for the Nationalists? I've seen estimates that vary between 2,000 to 20,000. Also which units did they serve in?

Any information gratefully received.

Chris

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Andres
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Joined: 07 Jun 2003, 23:05
Location: Spain

#2

Post by Andres » 19 Jun 2003, 20:03

Hi,

During the Spanish Civil War, the Nationalist side had 8311 foreign volunteers.

There were 869 (plus 38 who were in the Legion before 18 July-36) portuguese soldiers figthing for Natiolalist, and they were known as Viriatos.

Most of them fought enlisted in the Spanish Legion, althought some of them fought with the Falange or in the Carlists brigades.

There were also 3 groups of Portuguese in the National Aviation:

-1st Group-April -1938 (Soares de Oliveria(KIA), Krug, Guimaraes dos Santos, Flores de Barros and Pinto Bastos) who were Alfereces of the Legion and equipped with He-51. They fought in Catalonia and Extremadura.

-2nd Group. May-1938 (Porto Correia (KIA), Da Cunha, Sousa e Faro and Morais Calda). Equipped with He-45. They fought in Madrid and in Ebro Offensive.

-3rd Group- Francisco levi Vieira Cardoso Dias, Joao Tales de Silva, Antonio Ramos


Charm000
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Posts: 58
Joined: 31 Dec 2002, 14:40
Location: London, England

#3

Post by Charm000 » 23 Jun 2003, 14:00

Many thanks for that. Do you have a source for your figures? I've seen the 869 figure used before but only as the number of Portuguese in the Legion at a certain point in 1938 and I thought the overall number was higher. However I am happy to be proved wrong!

Thanks also for the airforce information - something I was not previously aware of. Did any Portuguese volunteers have distinctive insignia?

Christopher

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Andres
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Joined: 07 Jun 2003, 23:05
Location: Spain

#4

Post by Andres » 23 Jun 2003, 21:58

Here are some sources:

About Portuguese aviators: (in Spanish)

http://www.aire.org/gce/otros_pi/viriatos.htm

Here you can see some portuguese helmets used by them (Here it is said that there were 8000 portuguese volunteers but I think that is a huge exxageration (also in Spanish)

http://www.cascoscoleccion.com/portugal/por17.htm

Regards from Spain

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