Hadziefendic Legion

Discussions on the foreigners (volunteers as well as conscripts) fighting in the German Wehrmacht, those collaborating with the Axis and other period Far Right organizations. Hosted by George Lepre.
Post Reply
maxpower
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: 09 Sep 2005, 16:52
Location: Auburn New York U.S.A

Hadziefendic Legion

#1

Post by maxpower » 14 Oct 2005, 02:21

Has anyone heard of this Legion? Any and all information would be very, very appreciated
John

User avatar
jarek_g
Member
Posts: 275
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 16:47
Location: Warsaw, Poland

#2

Post by jarek_g » 14 Oct 2005, 06:11

See text of Allen Milcic from http://www.geocities.com/kumbayaaa/hadz ... egion.html
(site now non existed?):
The Hadziefendic Legion, named after its founder and commander Muhamed Hadziefendic, came into being in April 1941, when Hadziefendic, then a major in the Yugoslav army, refused to follow orders, deserted, and, in Vodice near Sibenik (western Croatia) organised the local population to fight against the desintegrating Yugoslav Army. With the proclamation of the NDH (Independent State of Croatia) on 10 April 1941, he returned to to his native Tuzla (Bosnia). In December 1941 he visited the Croatian Marshall Slavko Kvaternik, and requested permission to create a Domobran formation that would consist of Tuzla area Muslims. Permission was given, and on 22 December 1941, with material assistance from the NDH government, the "Major Hadziefendic Volunteer Revolutionary Group" ("Dobrovoljacki Odjel Narodnog Ustanka Bojnika Hadziefendica") was formed. The "Group" became the Brigade of Hadziefendic's Volunteer Legion (Zdrug Dobrovoljacke Legije Hadziefendica) in March 1942. In July 1942 it became the Domobran Volunteer Regiment (DOMDO), but was commonly known as the Hadziefendic Legion (Hadziefendiceva Legija). The "Legion" was almost 6.000 strong and operated in the Tuzla area (Northeastern Bosnia), defending local towns and villages from Cetniks and Partisans. In the spring of 1943, the German used the Legion as a core to build the 13th SS "Handzar" division, although some Muslim autonomists saw the Legion as a base for a future Bosnian army. Indeed, in much the same way was the 13th SS division viewed, especially after the Germans had promised to keep it in Bosnia. Hadziefendic notified the Croatian Army Command in Zagreb of the readiness of his men to join the Waffen SS, and at the beginning of July 1943, he became an SS officer. Some of the Legions men refuse to join the SS and deserted, mostly because they wished to remain near their homes to defend their families.Muhamed Hadziefendic himself was killed when partisans took his native Tuzla before he could join the division.
Bestreg.
Jarek


User avatar
G. Trifkovic
Forum Staff
Posts: 2293
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 20:26
Location: The South-East

#3

Post by G. Trifkovic » 14 Oct 2005, 12:40

The legion was not considered as a real enemy by the partisans.Rodoljub Colakovic,chief organiser of uprising in eastern Bosnia vividly recalls in his memoirs ("Zapisi iz oslobodilackog rata",Sarajevo,1951) the procedure of passing trough (or in a vicinity of) village held by the legion: envoys were sent (sometimes with Muslim nicknames),parley was asked for and a safe passage was demanded.One was usually granted:village would rarely risk attacking the passing column,no matter how small,because it knew that the next day the nearest partisan unit would storm the village in reprisal. Another thing was aranged at the parley:after the safe passing of the partisans,the militiamen would fire couple of rounds and bursts in the air so that they could claim to the authorities they fought the partisans! Otherwise,ammo shipments might stop which could prove fatal in case some chetnik war-party finds the village in question on it's war path...

Vladimir Dedijer ("Ratni dnevnik",Beograd,1951) recalls how once the Supreme Staff was accepted for the night in the village of Serici,near Zenica. After a lengthy conversation with the host,a local imam,Tito ordered one MG with some ammo to be given to the militia,in case chetniks attack.

Bosnia was quite a mess then...

Cheers,

Gaius

Larry D.
Member
Posts: 4103
Joined: 05 Aug 2004, 00:03
Location: Winter Springs, FL (USA)

#4

Post by Larry D. » 14 Oct 2005, 15:26


User avatar
Allen Milcic
Member
Posts: 2903
Joined: 09 Sep 2003, 21:29
Location: Canada

#5

Post by Allen Milcic » 14 Oct 2005, 17:37

Hello gentlemen:

I note that Muhamed Hadziefendic was born in January 1898, most likely in Tuzla, and was executed by firing squad on October 7, 1943 in Tuzla by Partizan forces (18th "East-Bosnian" Division) after a perfunctory Military Tribunal.

Allen/

maxpower
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: 09 Sep 2005, 16:52
Location: Auburn New York U.S.A

#6

Post by maxpower » 14 Oct 2005, 18:47

Wow! Thanks everybody! Thanks a billion! Great info! So interesting!
Thanks again!
John

User avatar
Zlatni ljiljan
Member
Posts: 59
Joined: 02 Aug 2004, 17:43
Location: Tuzla, Bosnia

#7

Post by Zlatni ljiljan » 15 Oct 2005, 05:02

Hi guys,

For those who speak Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, there is one interesting article, written by Colonel Esad Tihic, military historian from Sarajevo, and you can read it on this link:
http://glasnik.gracanica.net/arhiva/broj2/domdo.htm

Also, I posted some informaton about Hadziefendic Legion on Croatian Wikipedia:
http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhamed_Ha ... endi%C4%87


Hadziefendic Legion was formed in December 1941 as Dobrovoljacki odjel narodnog ustanka bojnika Hadziefendica (it’s hard to translate, something like “Major Hadziefendic’s Volunteer Detachment of People’s Uprising”). In April 1942 this unit became Zdrug dobrovoljacke legije Hadziefendica (Hadziefendic’s Volunteer Legion Brigade), and in May 1942 finally became Domobranska dobrovoljacka pukovnija (Volunteer Home-guard Regiment).


And a few photos of Hadziefendic Legion (scanned from Adnan Jahic’s book Muslimanske formacije tuzlanskog kraja u Drugom svjetskom ratu):

photo#1 - Foundation of Hadziefendic Legion, Tuzla - December 22, 1941. Hadziefendic stands in the middle;

photo#2 - Hadziefendic received King Zvonimir award;

photo#3 - Members of Hadziefendic Legion - 2nd Company of Gracanica Battalion
Attachments
DOMDO - Bukva, 1942..jpg
DOMDO - Bukva, 1942..jpg (39.6 KiB) Viewed 2050 times
DOMDO - Hadžiefendić prima odličje.jpg
DOMDO - Hadžiefendić prima odličje.jpg (27.44 KiB) Viewed 2049 times
Formiranje Dobrovoljačkog odjela - Tuzla, decembar 1941..jpg
Formiranje Dobrovoljačkog odjela - Tuzla, decembar 1941..jpg (68.29 KiB) Viewed 2049 times
Last edited by Zlatni ljiljan on 15 Oct 2005, 05:16, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Zlatni ljiljan
Member
Posts: 59
Joined: 02 Aug 2004, 17:43
Location: Tuzla, Bosnia

#8

Post by Zlatni ljiljan » 15 Oct 2005, 05:04

...and two more of Colonel Hadziefendic:
Attachments
Muhamedaga Hadžiefendić.jpg
Muhamedaga Hadžiefendić.jpg (43.98 KiB) Viewed 2048 times
Muhamedaga Hadžiefendić (1).jpg
Muhamedaga Hadžiefendić (1).jpg (9.87 KiB) Viewed 2048 times

Post Reply

Return to “Foreign Volunteers & Collaboration”