Vila do Bispo council has inaugurated a new monument that pays tribute to local soldiers who were killed during the First World War and the Portuguese Colonial War as well as the 10 Royal Air Force aviators (nine British and one Australian) who were killed over Praia do Tonel in Sagres when their plane exploded during the Second World War.
The monument, located in the town’s Jardim da Fonte, also honours local soldiers who served in Guinea, Angola, Mozambique during the Colonial War (1961-1974) as well as the former Portuguese colonies in India.
The inauguration ceremony was held on Wednesday (April 10) and attended by several high-profile guests including local mayor Adelino Soares, British vice-consul Clive Jewell, Australian ambassador to Portugal Peter Rayner, the president of Portugal’s Liga dos Combatentes (association of former soldiers), Tenente General Joaquim Chito Rodrigues, and the president of Vila do Bispo’s ex-soldiers association, Bernardino Martins.
The ceremony included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, the laying of a wreath and the blessing of the monument by Father José Chula.
