The minister of War, Norton de Matos, was one of the main officials responsible for the organization of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force (C. E. P.). Around 30 000 men were gathered.
The deployed soldiers, after the preliminary instruction performed in the barracks of the 2nd, 5th and 7th Division, departed for Tancos, in April 1916, where they received joint instruction for the preparation of the European campaign. This preparation effort is commonly known as the "Miracle of Tancos".
The training, widely reported by the press, was registered through the photos of Arnaldo Garcez. When the troops departed for France in the following year, under the Portuguese Expeditionary Force (CEP), Garcez accompanied them, with the rank of second lieutenant. While working for the Army, he recorded the daily lives of the Portuguese soldiers.
In Flanders, the CEP was placed under the command of the British Expeditionary Force (B. E. F.).
From Tancos to Flanders
Junto a Tancos, os treinos de infantaria, Joshua Benoliel, Ilustração Portuguesa, série II, nº. 563, Lisboa, 04 de Dezembro de 1916, p. 445.
Additional Info
- Autor Ana Paula Pires
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