Aníbal Milhais

Aníbal Augusto Milhais (; 9 July 1895 – 3 June 1970), nicknamed "Soldado Milhões" (; "Soldier Millions", for being "worth a million men"), 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.

Origin Milhais was a farmer; he was born on 9 July 1895 in the small village of Valongo de Milhais, a parish of Murça, in northern Portugal. He found himself in the midst of the battle, in the field of Isberg, covering the withdrawal of Portuguese and Scottish soldiers. Within a few hours, 1,938 men had been killed, 5,198 wounded and about 7,000 taken prisoner. Milhais was in charge of a Lewis gun. He laid down intense fire against assaults by two German regiments, inflicting many casualties. He managed to cover the retreat of Portuguese and Scots alike, despite coming under heavy attack himself. He fired in all directions and stayed at his post until he ran out of ammunition. Finally, the Germans decided to go around his position, and Milhais found himself alone in the rear of the enemy lines for three days. On the third day, Milhais, still carrying his Lewis gun, rescued a Scottish major from a swamp, and the two reached Allied lines. Milhais was warmly welcomed, but being a modest man, he did not say anything about his feats. However, the officer he had helped reported his actions to the British headquarters and several other testimonials also made his deeds known.

A permanent exhibition remembering his achievements can be seen in the Military Museum in the city of Porto.