Unknown Soldier

Following the example of other countries, Portugal also wished to glorify the Unknown Soldiers who had given their lives for their homeland in the fight against the Germans. To this end, a programme of honours to be paid to these heroes was drawn up and published in the Diário do Governo (‘Government Gazette’), 2nd series, of 26 March 1921. As was to be expected of the well-proven patriotism of the Portuguese people, the programme was carried out with the greatest splendour and solemnity in all the country’s major centres. In accordance with the instructions of this programme, made public in Funchal by a public notice (edital) of the civil governor, the competent authorities had the national flags raised at midday on 7 April 1921 – the day chosen for the lying-in-state of the coffins of the Unknown Soldiers of France and of Africa in the Palace of National Sovereignty – on the fortresses, barracks and public buildings, where they remained until sunset on the 10th. At the same hour the infantry band played the national anthem and the salute march, and the church bells rang for 15 minutes.

Funchal paid homage to its immortal heroes on 7 to 10 April, the days set by the Government. The ceremonies held then, however, had neither the splendour nor the solemnity of those of 1 to 3 of the same month, on the occasion of the landing and embarkation of the urn containing the mortal remains of the Unknown Soldier who had fallen on the distant shores of Africa, in the struggle we waged there against the Germans.

As we have already said on page 110 of volume II of this work, the urn, brought by the steamer Briton of the Union Castle Mail, spent the night of 31 March to 1 April at the Maritime Disinfection Station (Posto de Desinfecção Marítima), which had been set up as a chapel of rest. It was brought ashore in the small steamer Milano, on which the authorities and other official figures had taken their places. When the urn was landed at the Pontinha (‘little point’) quay at about 9 o’clock at night, it received the due honours from an infantry detachment commanded by a captain, and the coffin was watched over through the night by officers of the garrison.

The cortège that accompanied the urn to the town hall (Paços do Concelho) on 1 April was particularly imposing. It included the pupils and teachers of the primary, special and secondary schools of Funchal; the firemen, with the band of the ‘Artistas Funchalenses’; two patrols of scouts; the traffic staff of the Customs House and the Cabrestante (‘capstan’); various associations; the employees of the factory of W.m Hinton & Filhos; No. 1 Company of the Revenue Guard (Guarda Fiscal, customs and excise corps); naval forces and the civil police; the Syrian community; the director and staff of the ‘Western Telegraph Company’; representatives of the Masonic lodges; the Commercial Association; representatives of the banking houses; the press; the sergeants who had fought in Africa and France; the emigration police; the employees of the State Public Works; the directors and employees of the Customs House and the Post Office; the Protestant clergy; the director and staff of the Finance Department; the doctors, magistrates and lawyers; the Health Delegation; the Municipal Councils of the district; the District General Council (Junta Geral); the foreign officers resident in Funchal; the Portuguese officers; the families of Portuguese servicemen killed in the Great War; the civil and military authorities; the representatives of the Nation; the aide-de-camp of the Minister of the Navy; the consular corps; the general officers; a naval detachment from the cruiser República; the 27th Infantry Regiment; No. 3 Garrison Artillery Battery; the Republican Guard; and the philharmonic bands of Ribeira Brava (‘wild river’) and the Artístico-Madeirense. The urn containing the mortal remains of the Unknown Soldier followed the Portuguese officers who had joined the cortège.

All the way from Pontinha to Avenida do Dr. Manuel de Arriaga, where an elegant catafalque had been erected, the cortège passed between two dense lines of people. The funeral urn, wrapped in the national flag, was carried on a gun carriage flanked by eight officers, some of them veterans of the Great War. Ahead of it went three other gun carriages bearing the many wreaths that had stood in the chapel of rest prepared the previous day at the Pontinha Disinfection Station (Posto de Desinfecção).

In front of the catafalque the highest-ranking civil and military dignitaries and the foreign officers formed a semicircle. The urn was taken from the gun carriage and placed on the plank bed, where it was guarded by the officers who had accompanied it there, four on each side. After a few minutes of silence Captain Américo Olavo de Azevedo, a veteran of the Great War, spoke. Although visibly unwell, he delivered a fine, patriotic speech that pleased everyone present.

The cortège then set off for the town hall by way of Rua João Tavira and Largo do Município. Foreign officers carried the coffin to the door of the building, and from there volunteer firemen carried it to the chapel of rest; their band played A Portuguesa as the funeral urn arrived. In the majestically decorated state room of the town hall, speeches were made by the President of the Council, Dr Teixeira Jardim; the civil governor, Rodrigues dos Santos; the British consul, Mr Staniford; the American consul, Mr Jenkins; the harbour master, Vital Gomes; the military commander, Colonel João M. Ferraz; and Senator Dr Manuel Augusto Martins. After the authorities who had joined the cortège had withdrawn, the room was visited by many thousands of people, who filed respectfully past the urn. It had been placed on a broad dais of five carpeted steps, with six large gilded torch-stands on each side, each ending in iron branches bearing five powerful electric lamps.

Before the cortège left Pontinha, the infantry officer Armando Pinto Correia, a veteran of the Great War, gave a brilliant address. It was followed by the minute of silence that those present were to observe, dedicated to all who had lost their lives on the battlefields in defence of the Fatherland, Liberty, Right and Justice.

When the steamer Briton, which, as we have said, carried the mortal remains of the Unknown Soldier, appeared on the horizon, the seaplane ‘F. 3’, which we mentioned in the article Aviation, flew out to meet it and circled the ship.

On 3 April, around midday, a new cortège formed, this time to accompany to the quay the remains of the Unknown Soldier, which were to be embarked on the cruiser República, charged with carrying them to Lisbon. The urn was borne by councillors (vereadores) from the chamber where it had lain in state to the door of the town hall. There it was handed over to the military detachment and placed on a gun carriage, the same councillors holding the tassels. In addition to the officers of the Funchal garrison, the foreign officers who had taken part in the cortège of the 1st joined the new procession.

As on the 1st, dense crowds lined the streets along which the cortège passed, and many people gathered on the quay and nearby to watch the embarkation ceremony.

The urn was carried from the beginning to the far end of the quay by the Civil Governor, the President of the Council, General Norton de Matos and the Military Commander. There it was handed over to a detachment of sailors from the cruiser República, and on that occasion the President of the Council and the French consul in Funchal gave speeches.

The urn was then transferred to a launch from the cruiser, in the middle of which stood a trophy made up of the flags of the Allied nations. The dignitaries who had borne the mortal remains of the Unknown Soldier to the end of the quay took their places in the same launch.

On arrival aboard the República, the urn was placed on a platform at the stern, with the wreaths arranged around it, and on that occasion General Norton de Matos and the cruiser’s commander spoke.

Moments later the cruiser left the harbour of Funchal for Lisbon, carrying on board the remains of the Unknown Soldier from Africa. A few days later they were to rest in the majestic Batalha Monastery, built by a valiant and patriotic king to commemorate one of the most glorious events in our history.