Aníbal Afonso was a member of the Blue Division, the unit sent by the Spanish Government to fight alongside the Germans in Russia. He participated in several combats and returned to Spain unscathed with the survivors of the unit when it was recalled.

At the age of 17, Aníbal Afonso went with his family from Portugal to Asturias, Spain, where work in the mines attracted a lot of Portuguese families, especially from the Minho area. He settled in Olloniego, near Oviedo, before enlisting on July 20, 1942.

Valter Alves, who published an article about this Portuguese fighter on the blog “Melgaço, entre o Minho e a Serra”, was unable to confirm whether Aníbal had also fought in the Spanish Civil War or belonged to the Spanish Falange, something common among many of those who were part of the Blue Division.

In the 14th Marching Battalion of the Blue Division he found at least five other Portuguese, namely the soldiers Alberto Alves, Francisco Lopes, José Camacho and corporal José Barroso. On August 13th they went to Germany and shortly afterwards they were in Russia – where the Spaniards had been fighting since the previous year. Aníbal was became a soldier in the 263rd Infantry Regiment.

In February 1943 he fought in the battle of Krasnyi-Bor where the Spanish suffered strong attacks by Russian forces, but were able to resist. We also find Aníbal in the trenches of Leningrad and in the swamps of the Ishora River.

The Blue Division lost around five thousand fighters among deaths and prisoners, before being demobilized at the end of 1943.

Aníbal Afonso escaped unharmed and in November 1943 he returned to Spain in a convoy where you could also find the Portuguese soldiers António Ramos, Luís Rodrigues and Francisco Lopes.

At the end of 1945 he married Maria Argentina Heria Fanjul in the town of São Pelayo de Olloniego. He will have stayed in Spain as there is no news of his return to Portugal.

Aníbal Afonso escaped unharmed and in November 1943 returned to Spain in a convoy where Portuguese soldiers António Ramos, Luís Rodrigues and Francisco Lopes were also present.

At the end of 1945 he married Maria Argentina Heria Fanjul in the town of São Pelayo de Olloniego, in Spain. There are no news of him ever returning to Portugal.

Carlos Guerreiro