Fernando Augusto Colaço Leal Robles or Fernando Robles (born 15 August 1940) is a Portuguese former

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

(later

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

) who participated in initial counterinsurgency operations against insurgent União dos Povos de Angola (UPA) guerrillas operating in northern

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

during 1961, at the onset of the

Portuguese Colonial War The Portuguese Colonial War ( pt, Guerra Colonial Portuguesa), also known in Portugal as the Overseas War () or in the former colonies as the War of Liberation (), and also known as the Angolan, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambican War of Independence, ...

. He was born in

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...

Career

After graduating from Colégio Militar and failing his second year at

Academia Militar The Military Academy (AM; ''Academia Militar'' in Portuguese) is a Portuguese military establishment, which has the ability to confer educational qualifications equivalent to a university. It develops activities of teaching, research and support ...

, Robles was initially commissioned a conscripted second lieutenant (in Portuguese "Alferes miliciano") of infantry. In 1960, he volunteered for training and assignment to a new Portuguese special operations and counterinsurgency force, the ''Companhias de Caçadores Especiais'' (Special Sharpshooter Companies, or CCE). The initial ''Caçadores Especiais'' companies were composed of volunteers from standard infantry units who were considered better adapted for intensive training in antiguerrilla operations. Trained at the Centro de Instrução de Operações Especiais (CIOE, or Center for Special Operations Instruction) in

Lamego Lamego (; cel-x-proto, Lamecum) is a city and municipality in the Viseu District, in the Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region of the Douro Subregion, Douro in northern Portugal. Located on the shores of the Balsemão River, the municipality has a ...

, the CCE were the first Portuguese troops to wear the brown beret and camouflage combat uniform in combat. Robles duly graduated and was assigned to the ''6ª Companhia de Caçadores Especiais'', which deployed to

Luanda Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

the same year along with three other ''Caçadores Especiais'' companies. While participating in operations in northern Angola against UPA rebels in and round the area known as Dembos, in

Cuanza Norte The Cuanza Norte Province ( en, North Cuanza; umb, Konano Kwanza Volupale) is province of Angola. N'dalatando is the capital and the province has an area of 24,110 km² and a population of 443,386. Manuel Pedro Pacavira was born here and ...

Province in Angola, the ''6ª Companhia de Caçadores Especiais'' became notorious for its reprisals against secessionist native Angolans in a brutal "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" counterinsurgency campaign. On the other hand, the contribution this company gave to the saving of thousands of lives (white and mixed-blood settlers and native farm workers who didn't join UPA) cannot be denied. For his bravery while participating in the operations against the UPA, 2nd Lt. Robles was awarded the ''Medalha de Prata de Valor Militar com palma'' (''Silver Military Medal of Valor with Palm''). After re-joining and graduating from

he joined the Portuguese

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. As a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

and later on a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of this special force, Robles served in

Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...

and – for a second time – in

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

, where he remained until 1975. After the war he was transferred to the Guarda Nacional Republicana and retired as a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in 2002.Diário da República

'

Career

References

See also