The anniversary of Armistice Day was marked in Loulé as the local branch of the League of Combatants paid tribute to the fallen, and "the sacrifice of their lives in the line of duty, and in the service of Portugal when they fell on the field of battle."
The 1918 Armistice marked the surrender of Germany and an end to World War I. The document was signed at 11.00am on November 11th 1918 in Rethondes in the forest of Compiègne in northern France.
Many are unaware of Portugal’s role in the Great War but Portugal, initially neutral, sent troops to fight between March 1916 and November 1918 aiding Britain, France, Russia and its allies.
Initially, both the Portuguese and the German Governments agreed to neutrality. Unofficially, there were many hostile engagements between the countries. Portugal wanted to comply with British requests for help and also protect its colonies in Africa. Ultimately unsustainable tensions resulted in war being declared between Portugal and Germany.
Approximately 7,000 Portuguese troops died during the course of World War I, including Africans serving in its armed forces.
Soldiers from Loulé who participated have their names inscribed on the memorial wall of the Loulé council building: they were integrated into the Number 4 Infantry Battalion of Faro, which sent 19 officers and 600 soldiers into battle.
Angelo Silva, chairman of the Loulé League of Combatants, gave an intelligent speech, recalling those “responsible for this collective madness which led to a lost generation who were strafed and bombed, with disastrous results for humanity."
To mark this year’s anniversary, the Loulé League of Combatants wished to "remember those who lost their lives in combat and those who suffered atrociously the affects of war between August 1914 and November 1918. All who participated in the Great War, including many Portuguese soldiers, deserve from us memory and respect.” Angelo Silva added that next year, the centenary of the start of the war, there will be events in France, England, Holland and Portugal.
The League of Combatants will conduct a series of events that will culminate with the presentation of a plaque featuring the names of soldiers who participated in WWI and which will include the names of soldiers from Loulé who gave their lives in the name of Portugal.
