Portuguese Order of Battle

[leanes-trench]

Greetings all. Does anyone happen to have an order of battle for the Portuguese Army in France during WWI? I am trying to find out if the 17th Infantry Regiment fought there (I was lucky enough to pick a paybook to a guy in that regiment).

Many thanks,

Pat

[Greenwoodman]

Hi there

The 17th was in France. The Order of Battle for 11 Nov 1918 (which includes Portuguese units) shows them as part of 5th Infantry Bde, 2nd Port. Div. Other references put the 17th in the front line in front of Richebourg St Vaast on 08/04/18, where they faced the full onslaught of German 6th Army the next day.

[PPCLI]

Other references put the 17th in the front line in front of Richebourg St Vaast on 08/04/18, where they faced the full onslaught of German 6th Army the next day.

Not specifically the 17th Infantry Regiment, but the Portuguese Army's involvement in the German advance mentioned above is referred to in the history of the 1/9th (Glasgow Highlanders) Highland Light Infantry (15th Apr 1918):

"The Highlanders had now been without rest for three days, and during the last two had been engaged in heavy fighting. But, tired as they were, they had not lost anything of their fighting, spirit. Many of them had seen incidents which in their opinion reflected little credit on the troops involved. Due allowance may not have been made for the severe strain under which other units had been operating — perhaps twice as long as they themselves had been. Nevertheless ground had been lost which should have been held. The ease with which the Germans had broken through the Portuguese on the 9th, and the lack of British reserves immediately available to fill the gap, had enabled the enemy to advance so rapidly on an ever-widening front that there had been a partial breakdown in our system of command. Intermingled units out of touch with their own formations were only to inclined to follow any movement to the rear."

Stuart

[leanes-trench]

Many thanks for your help, guys. I wish I could read Portuguese! The writing in the book is clear, but still, it's Portuguese.

Regards,

Pat

[David_Blanchard]

Many thanks for your help, guys.  I wish I could read Portuguese!  The writing in the book is clear, but still, it's Portuguese.

Regards,

Pat

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Potuguese ORBAT at the Lys was as follows:

The Portuguese brigades included four infantry battalions each, the numbers of the latter being: 3rd Brigade - 9, 12, 14, 15 Battalions; 4th Brigade - 3, 8, 20, 29 Battalions; 5th Brigade - 4, 10, 13, 17 Battalions; 6th Brigade - 1, 2, 5, 11 Battalions.

Regards

David