oops yes i was.
The Azores are an Atlantic archpelago of considerable importance. Britain and Portugal have a long history of commercial and military cooperation dating back well befoe the Napoleonic Wars. Portugal fought with the Allies in World War I. The Salazar dictatorship had some Fascist trappings. German Führer Adolf Hitler conceived of seizing the Azores an Canaries early in the war, but was disuaded from this adventure by his naval staff who realized that Germany did not have the naval strength that would be needed to supply the island and hold them. Portugal adhered to a strictly neutral stance. After the fall of France (June 1940), the danger arose of a German invasion. German Operation Felix conceived of a German offense through Spain to seize Gibraltar. Hitler hoped thast Franco would cooperate, but he refused. And after the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union Hitler's focus was clearly turned east (June 1941). The Azores were lightly defended. The Portuguese Goverment began expanded the small runway and sent additional troops and equipment to Lajes including Gladiator aircraft the British had provided. The Portuguese declared the base capable of effective air defense (July 1941). The Portuguese began Gladiators missions providing air cover to allied convoys, reconnaissance missions and meteorological flights. The Portuguese also began JU52 a cargo transport missions using aircraft previously provided by the Germans (July 1942). When the United states entered the War, planners saw the importance of the Azores both for convoy air cover and for commnications to North Africa. The Portuguese government, however, remained neutral. The Allied Torch lamdings (November 1942) clearly signaled the decling Axis fortunes. Both Ameriuca and Britain pressed the Portuguese to provide access to the Azores. German reverses in the East and North Africa convinced Salazar that it was both safe and advisable to moce toward the Allies. The British used a 600-year-old treaty (1373 Treaty of Peace) to negotiate the use of the Azores (August 1943). Salaza agreed to the British request for basing rights "in the name of the alliance that had existed for over 600 years between Portugal and Great Britain." The British were given use of the Azorean ports of Horta, on the island of Faial, and Ponta Delgada, on the island of Sao Miguel, and the airfields of Lagens Field on Terceira Island and Santana Field on Sao Miguel Island. The British and Americans turned the Azoores into a key air base for operations against German U-boats.
Salazar's decision to stick with the oldest alliance in the world, cemented by the Treaty of Windsor (1386) between Portugal and England, which is still in force today, meant that the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance allowed Madeira to help the allies and in July 1940 around 2,000 Gibraltarian Evacuees were shipped to Madeira, this was due to the high risk of Gibraltar being attacked by either Spain or Germany.
The Gibraltarians are fondly remembered on the island where they were called Gibraltinos. Some Gibraltarians had married Madeirans during this time and stayed after the war was over.
On November 12, 1940 Hitler issued Führer Directive No. 18 in which there was the possibility to invade Portugal and he also said "I also request that the problem of occupying Madeira and the Azores should be considered, together with the advantages and disadvantages which this would entail for our sea and air warfare. The results of these investigations are to be submitted to me as soon as possible. I believe at some point the Portuguese were made aware of these designs, which could only serve to drive them closer to the allied camp.
On the 28 May 1944 the first repatriation party leaves Madeira for Gibraltar and by the end of 1944 only 520 non-priority evacuees remained on the island. There was never a real allied military presence on this island, but it is logical that in the event of a crisis such contingencies would have occurred. the allies certainly had plans to occupy the island in the event of an attack on gibraltar.
With regard to the Canary Islands , were occupied by the Spanish in the years just before Columbus' voyage. The Ahnenerbe (a German scientific organizatrion patroned by himmler) funded Spanish excavations, provided photographic equipment, and lent aircraft to conduct aerial surveys of archaelogical sites. I have no doubt these served a more sinister purpose for the Germans as well
Franco at first declared Spain a non-beligerant. German Führer Adolf Hitler conceived of seizing the Azores and Canaries (as well as the islands of cape verde and Madeira) early in the war, but was disuaded from this adventure by his naval staff who realized that Germany might be able to seize the islands, but did not have the naval strength that would be needed to supply the island and hold them. Spain began constructing large military complex at Las Palmas (1940). President Roosevelt saw it as a potential "German springboard" for "aggression upon the Western Hemisphere", and such fears would have magnified to the poiint of an early US entry if Britain had suffered a defeat in 1940-41 .
Unlike the Portuguese controlled Azores, the Canaries did not play a major role in the War. The British were concerned at first because it was not clear if Franco would enter the War on the side of the Axis. In Axis hands, the Islands could have disrupted sea commerce with the Dominions and the US which provided critical supplies to the Britain. Even if the Germans did not seize the Canaries, allowing U-boats to refuel and resupply there would provide an important support for U-boat operations. The Canaries had, however, a serious weakness as a U-boat base. Fuel and equipment would have to be brought in by ship. And such shipping would be vulnerable to Royal Navy interdiction. Although there were a few incidences of U-Boats using Spanish ports for refuelling purposes, it was very small scale and strictly secret, for fear of allied sanctions. The British prepared Operation Puma to seize the Canary Islands (June 1941). This was one of several contingency plans prepared to deal with any German plans to move against Spain and Portugal. Of course the German invasion of the Soviet Union in the same month made this much less likely. Spanish authorities denied the Canary Islands to the Kriegsmarine for refueling and rearming U-boats from July 1941. The British were prepared to seize the Canaries if the Spanish attacked Gibraltar, and in 1940-41 the islands were only lightly defended. Denying U-boas access to the Canaries, however, went a long way toward ending British concern with the Canaries. Franco decided to change Spain's status from non-beligerancy to neutral. The Allies decided to treat Spain as a neutral nation from 1942, increasing her access to foreign supplies and finace.