Manuel de Jesus Pires was born in the city of Porto on March 6, 1895, he was the son of José Pires and Elisa de Jesus Pires. He studied at the Faculty of Sciences of Porto and the War School, and then joined the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps during World War I. In 1919, he was sent to Timor-Leste, where he spent the rest of his life. Over more than two decades, he held various military and civil positions, notably serving as the governor of Baucau from 1937.
When Japanese forces invaded Timor in 1942 in spite of Portugal's neutrality in World War II, Pires helped to evacuate groups of Portuguese and Timorese civilians. On 10 February 1943, as the last Allied soldiers were leaving the island, he boarded an American submarine, with the thought of gathering more help for Timor from the outside world than he could by staying on. Once in Australia, he spoke to Australian forces and contacted Prime Minister Salazar in Lisbon, calling for his intervention.
Unsuccessful in his attempts, Pires decided to go back to Timor. He was infiltrated back into the island in early July by Australian forces, along with three other Portuguese, and joined an undercover group. On 3 August, he organised the evacuation of 87 civilians. One month later, whilst fleeing a group of Japanese soldiers, Pires was wounded and captured. He died in detention at an unknown date, in 1944.[1][2]
A monument was erected to him in Dili, in 1972.
Portugal