OPVDC

OPVDC is an initialism for the Portuguese Organização Provincial de Voluntários de Defesa Civil or Provincial Organization of Volunteers of Civil Defence. There were two such organizations raised by the Portuguese Armed Forces in their overseas provinces of Moçambique and Angola.

Angola

Provincial Organization of Volunteers of Civil Defence of Angola (OPVDCA) - mainly urban militia, consisting mainly of white settlers.

The OPVDCA was framed by officers of the asset or the reserve of the Armed Forces, but was dependent on the Civil Administration, and its maximum in the Governor-General of the province. The function of OPVDCA was essentially in defence of people, lines of communications and sensitive installations.

Members of OPVDCA volunteers were civilians who had their professions, serving in the organization part time. Initially the OPVDCA was constitída only by white settlers, but later it became increasingly multi-racial. At its peak the OPVDCA reached more than 40,000 staff.

Mozambique

Organização Provincial de Voluntários de Defesa Civil de Moçambique (OPVDCM) - (Provincial Organization of Volunteers of Civil Defence of Mozambique) (OPVDCM)

ee also

* militia