Aníbal Milhais | Timeline

Aníbal Augusto Milhais (July 9, 1895 – June 3, 1970), nicknamed "Soldado Milhões" (Soldier Millions), was the most decorated Portuguese soldier of World War I and the only Portuguese soldier awarded the highest national honour, the Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit on the battlefield instead of the usual public ceremony in Lisbon. (Intro from Wikipedia)

July 9, 1895 - Valongo, Murça, Portugal - Aníbal Augusto Milhais is born
May 13, 1915 - Bragança, Portugal - Drafted into the 30th Infantry Regiment of Bragança =(START)
June 1(?), 1915 - Chaves, Portugal - Transfered to the 19th Infantry Regiment of Chaves
February 24, 1916 - While in Chaves - At Great-Britain's request, Portugal seizes 36 german and austro-hungarian merchant ships anchored in the Tagus River in front of Lisbon
March 9, 1916 - While in Chaves - Germany declares War to Portugal
May 1(?), 1916 - Tancos, Portugal - The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps begins preparing for war
July 22, 1916 - Montalvo, Portugal - Military Parade after three months of preparation for combat in France
January 30, 1917 - While in Tancos(?) - Three British steamers sail from the Tagus carrying on board the 1st Brigade of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps, commanded by General Gomes da Costa
February 2, 1917 - While in Tancos(?) - The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps begins arriving at the harbour of Brest, France
February 22, 1917 - While in Tancos(?) - A second large Portuguese Expeditionary Corps contingent departs for France
May 23, 1917 - Lisbon, Portugal - Departs to France as sharpshooter
May 28, 1917 - Brest, France - Milhais arrives in Brest
June 3, 1917 - Aire-sur-la-Lys, France - Arrives in the area of Aire-sur-la-lys, to begin training in trench and gas warfare, after a three day train voyage
June 4, 1917 - Aire-sur-la-Lys - First german raid against the portuguese sector at Ferme de Bois
June 21, 1917 - Étaples, S. of Boulogne - Hospitalized from 21 to 24 at Hôpital Général Nº26
June 25, 1917 - Saint-Venant, NW of Béthune, France(?) - Reports to his new unit, the 15th Infantry Battalion of Tomar
July 16, 1917 - Neuve Chapelle (between Béthune and Armentières) - Second german raid against the portuguese sector at Neuve Chapelle
July 18, 1917 - Neuve Chapelle - Transfered to the 4th company with the number "805"
August 14, 1917 - Neuve Chapelle - Third german raid against the portuguese sector at Neuve Chapelle and Fauquissart. A german battalion advances in two columns to both objectives. The 15th infantry battalion repels the first column, the other ocupies its new objective line
September 12, 1917 - Neuve Chapelle - Transfered to the 1st Company with the number "655"
September 14, 1917 - Neuve Chapelle - Fourth german raid against the portuguese sector at Neuve Chapelle before the Rain Season and Winter
December 12, 1917 - Saint-Venant, NW of Béthune, France(?) - Hospitalized in Ambulance No.5 that was part of the mobile field hospital
March 2, 1918 - Neuve Chapelle - First german post-Winter raid against the portuguese sector at Neuve Chapelle and Chapigny
March 9, 1918 - Ferme de Bois - First portuguese raid against german lines at Ferme de Bois
March 12, 1918 - Neuve Chapelle - The germans counterattack the portuguese sector at Neuve Chapelle and Fauquissart at dawn with mustard gas and assault troops
March 14, 1918 - Neuve Chapelle - New german raid against the portuguese sector at Neuve Chapelle, Fauquissart and Ferme de Bois
March 19, 1918 - Neuve Chapelle - Second portuguese raid against german lines at Neuve Chapelle
April 3, 1918 - Neuve Chapelle - Third portuguese raid against german lines at Neuve Chapelle. The germans withraw from their trenches

Milhais (front center) with
the Order of Tower and Sword

April 9, 1918 - Huit Maisons, La Couture, NE of Béthune, France - On the day that the 2nd division was to be replaced by the British, eight German divisions burst through the portuguese sector in a general offensive (Operation Georgette), led by the 35th division. 1500 pieces of artillery raze the Portuguese trenches, and in a few hours they lose 7,000 men, dead, wounded or prisoners. Amid the chaos, Milhais and a comrade are left alone to cover the 15th Battalion retreat to La Fosse. Milhais' companion is disintegrated by a German grenade when he tries to run out of the trench. Alone, Milhais faces at least two German charges, alternating between three different shooting points, giving the Germans the illusion that they were facing a large number of men. In the first charge, the Germans wore Portuguese uniforms captured from prisoners, which made Milhais realize only that they were Germans at close range. The germans loose ALL soldiers of both charges to Milhais' Lewis machine gun, having already been described (possibly with exaggeration, or maybe not) that until he ran out of ammunition, the humble Portuguese shepherd gunned down an entire battalion, making him a true Heinrich Severloh or Audie Murphy of the World War I).
Believing they had encountered a full regiment, the Germans ultimately bypassed the hill to resume their advance (in good time because he was out of ammunition), leaving Milhais behind german lines
April 14, 1918 - Saint-Venant, NW of Béthune, France - After wandering behind German lines for three days without water and just Easter almonds to eat, Milhais finds a Scottish officer about to drown in a swamp and saves him. The scotsman is surprised that only one man was facing the Germans in that sector. The two men start moving towards the Portuguese lines and, before arriving, Milhais saves a girl by carrying her on the shoulder until they reach a village. There, the civilians recognize the girl and call her parents. Milhais refuses a reward because he believed he could be killed at any moment. When he returns to Saint-Venant, he learns that there was a detailed report on his actions during the Battle of La Lys. At the same time, the Scottish officer writes a long letter praising the actions of the humble soldier Milhais, who had not talked about his deed
June(?) 1(?), 1918 - ? - Milhais covers the withdrawal of a Belgian unit in a similar way to what he had done on April 9th. The Belgian commander takes note of him in his report (speculative date)

July 15, 1918 - Saint-Venant, NW of Béthune, France(?) - The Order of Service of the Battalion publishes a commendation, given by Major Ferreira do Amaral, which describes his action as having been worth a million men: "You are Milhais but you are worth Millions!" Hence the nickname by which he became known: "Soldier Millions"
August 31, 1918 - Saint-Venant, NW of Béthune, France(?) - Aníbal Milhais is awarded the Order of the Tower and Sword, Portugal's highest military decoration, from the hands of Marechal Gomes da Costa, before 15,000 soldiers. He is also decorated with the french "Légion d'Honneur" for his actions while covering the belgian withrawal
February 2, 1919 - Lisbon, Portugal - Returns to Portugal with the 15th Infantry Battalion aboard the "Helenus"
April 8, 1924 - While in Valongo, Murça - The story of Millions seemed to have ended and forgotten. But the newspaper "Diário de Lisboa", in 1924, decided to rescue the hero, turning him into a kind of national symbol
July 8, 1924 - Valongo, Murça - His village of Valongo is renamed "Valongo de Milhais" (Valongo of Milhais) in his honor
January(?) 1(?), 1928 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Emigrates to Brazil
August 5, 1928 - Valongo, Murça, Portugal - Returns to Portugal, after an initiative of other Portuguese emigrants in Brazil, who see him as the “complete personification of eternal Portugal”
November 23, 1967 - Valongo, Murça - He tells an old reel machine the story of the war in which he participated and which made him a hero. He did so at the request and at the insistence of his daughter Leonida Milhões
June 3, 1970 - Valongo, Murça, Portugal - Aníbal Milhais dies, aged 74 =(END)