Portuguese aces and planes

Manfred · 29 December 2005, 12:09 AM

Was there a Portuguese air service? If yes, did they have any aces. Also, which planes did they fly?

renefonck

rammjaeger · 29 December 2005, 04:32 AM

I am not aware of any Portugese ace - according to the French and "modern" definition a fighter pilot with at least 5 victories but I know

Rudolf Windisch flew the captured SPAD of a Portugese pilot officer. So Portugese pilots flew in the French Air Service.

I think some experts of French Air Service or other historians will give you more information soon.

VBR
Rammjaeger

Breguet · 1 January 2006, 01:58 AM

Here, for what it is worth, is a very brief history from the net:

1912 Institute of Portuguese Military Aviation founded with aircraft brought by public subscription. 1914-1915 Army officers flying training with France, Britain and USA. 1917 Arma da Aeronautica formed as separate branch of the Army. 1927 Army aviation considerably expanded and reorganised - now operates practically autonomously under Ministry of War. Late 1937 reorganised and expanded again. 1 July 1952 Army and Navy air arms amalgamated into independent Portuguese Air Force.

vb136 · 1 January 2006, 10:21 AM

A number of Portuguese fighter-pilots flew with French units. The ones I know of are:
Capitaine de Monteiro-Torres, with SPA 65, MIA 19.11.1917,
Capitaines de Souza-Maya, Dos Santos Leite and Lello Portella with SPA 124 in 1918
Capitaine Ramires and Lieutenant Joao Valente with SPA 158 in 1918.

vb136 · 1 January 2006, 10:40 AM

Some additional information on the pilots from Portugal:
José Joaquim Ramires was born in 1886
Joao Valente was born in 1899
Oscar Monteiro Torres (Torres is his family name) was born in 1889
José dos Santos Leite was born in 1884
Alberto Lelo Portela was born in 1893
Antonio de Souza Maya was born in 1888.

Dario_Silva · 4 January 2006, 12:49 PM

Alberto Lelo Portela, it served in the Escadrille 124, obtaining 3 air victories confirmed during the great war.

He was born 10 June 1893, in Santa Marta de Penaguiao, Portugal.
Seemingly it was pilot in 1916 for England in the 10 Squadron, in artillery observer, it photographs and observation.
Can somebody confirm his participation with the Englishmen?
At the end of 1917 he incorporates to the Escadrille 124. 22 air combats.
Capitaine (?)
Legion of Honor
Lieutenant Colonel in 1937 of the Portuguese Aviation Corps.
Observer in the Second World War. It died the 10 September 1949.
A Portuguese mission existed in France during the war.
Among other names, Additional to those mentioned by Thomas, I can mention him:
Joao Cabral (Mechanic)
Olympio Chaves
You can also visit this (Portuguese Pilots) it connects to the old forum. He has a good discussion on the topic.
I wait it is of help.

Dario

Dario_Silva · 4 January 2006, 01:30 PM

Other Topics:
Escadrille 65...
www I in Africa

Manfred · 5 January 2006, 12:46 AM

Thanks, very useful information. Also, great links!

Dario_Silva · 18 January 2006, 02:21 PM

....13 Portuguese pilots chose to go on fighting, the most famous of them being Captain Oscar Monteiro Torres, who had initially served with 10th Sqd.
RFC. Moteiro Torres had establish a friendship with the famous French Ace

Georges Guynemer, who quite admired him and who would invite him to join his
famous Escadrille de Cigognes - SPA 3. Since Guynemer died in combat shortly after having made the invitation, Monteiro Torres never joined the Storks and went to another famous fighter squadron - SPA 65, based at Soissons, equipped with SPASD S.7C1.
On 20 Nov. 1917 he fought an heroic and unequal aerial combat, having downed an Halberstadt and facing several Fokkers afterwards, between Chemin des Dames and Laon, being brought down after a glorious fight, and in dramatic circumstances, not without having yet brought down another enemy.....
Info in this link