Viriatos
| Viriatos | |
|---|---|
 Emblem used by the "Viriatos". | |
| Active | 1936 – 1939 |
| Country |  Portugal |
| Allegiance |  Spanish Nationalists |
| Branch | Land and air forces |
| Type | Volunteers |
| Size | 8,000 – 12,000 |
| Engagements | Spanish Civil War |
Viriatos, named after the
As a result of widespread publicity for the Viriatos Legion, Portuguese volunteers who later enlisted directly in the
According to the historian Antony Beevor,[3] 12,000 Portuguese participated. The historian Christopher Othen claims the number to be closer to 8,000.[4] A Portuguese Military Observation Mission with members drawn from all three branches of the Portuguese military was present in Spain from 1937 onwards, with the dual objectives of protecting the interests of Portuguese foreign volunteers and collating information on the lessons learned during the civil war.[5]
Although the mission officially had a noncombatant role, its air force contingent took part in combat missions,[6] the aviator José Adriano Pequito Rebelo being a notable member.
References
- ^ Herrera Alonso, Emilio. "VIRIATOS DO AR - Aviadores portugueses en la guerra de España" in Aeroplano nº12. (in Spanish)
- ^ Othen, Christopher. Franco's International Brigades (Reportage Press 2008) p78
- ^ Beevor, Antony. La Guerra civil española Archived 2020-10-13 at the Wayback Machine(in Spanish)
- ISBN 9780231704250.
- ISBN 9780231704250.
- ISBN 9780231704250.
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