Other Forces

State funeral

Bundesarchiv

In the summer of 1942 a Portuguese military delegation was invited to visit the 3rd Reich and the Eastern Front to see up-close the Nazi war machine in action. After touring several military instalations and factories in Germany, the delegation found itself in the front lines of Army Group Center. In early September 1942, during a visit to the Kursk sector, the Luftwaffe organized a demonstration to the group. During the handling of what was thought to be a disarmed incendiary bomb, the device went off injuring 9 of the Portuguese military as well as several German officers. Of the former, several were evacuated to Germany. One of them, Captain Lopes Pires didn't resist his injuries and passed away during the night of 15 to 16 September 1942. The diplomatic embarrassment was in part compensated by a funeral in Germany with full military honors, the coffin being sent to Portugal afterwards.