Carvalho Araújo


José Botelho de Carvalho Araújo was a Portuguese Navy officer and colonial administrator who died in action against a German U-boat in World War I.

Life

Son of José de Carvalho Araújo Júnior and Margarida Ferreira Botelho de Araújo, he was born in the northern city of Porto at the parish of São Nicolau, while his parents were visiting the city. Two months later, his parents returned to Vila Real in Trás os Montes where they lived.
After completing his studies at the Academia Politécnica do Porto, he enlisted in the Portuguese Navy in 1899.
He served on several ships: the frigate Dom Afonso, the corvette Duque da Terceira, the cruisers Vasco da Gama, Adamastor and São Rafael, the gunboats Zambeze, Liberal, Diu and Lúrio, the tugboat Bérrio and the transport ship Salvador Correia.
A strong supporter of the republican ideals, he was elected deputy after the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic and governor of the Inhambane district in the Portuguese colony of Mozambique.
He died on 14 October 1918, at the command of the Portuguese naval trawler NRP Augusto Castilho while protecting the cargo ship São Miguel from the attack of the German U-boat SM U-139, commanded by submarine ace Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière.

Navy career