Portugal: President, PM received in Paris before centenary of bloody battle

Paris, France – There, the two heads of state are to oversee ceremonies to mark the centenary of the Battle of La Lys, in which hundreds of Portuguese soldiers died during the First World War.

The battle on 9 April 1918 was the result of a fierce German attack on the Allied forces, of which a Portuguese Expeditionary Force formed a part.

The Battle of La Lys left more than 400 Portuguese dead, and thousands injured, as well as 6,600 prisoners, making it one of the bloodiest of Portugal’s military history.

A plaque is to be unveiled marking the battle’s centenary, followed by speeches by the two heads of state and a tribute to those who lost their lives in the First World War.

The ceremonies are also being attended by Portugal’s minister of national defence, José Azeredo Lopes, and the head of the armed forces, Admiral António Silva Ribeiro, as well as the air force chief, General Manuel Teixeira Rolo, and the head of the army, General Frederico Rovisco Duarte. Representatives of all parties in Portugal’s parliament will also be present.

From the cemetery, the group is to visit various events, including an exhibition staged by Aurore Rouffelaers, great-granddaughter of Portuguese soldier João Assunção, who was in the trenches, that is based on descendants’ testimony.

Three Portuguese citizens resident in France are also to be awarded the Medal of National Defence.