Hadziefendic Legion

maxpower · Post by **maxpower** » 14 Oct 2005 01:21

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

jarek_g · Post by **jarek_g** » 14 Oct 2005 05:11

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

G. Trifkovic · Post by **G. Trifkovic** » 14 Oct 2005 11:40

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. · Post by **Larry D.** » 14 Oct 2005 14:26

Also see:

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=7033

Allen Milcic · Post by **Allen Milcic** » 14 Oct 2005 16:37

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 · Post by **maxpower** » 14 Oct 2005 17:47

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

Zlatni ljiljan · Post by **Zlatni ljiljan** » 15 Oct 2005 04:02

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

Zlatni ljiljan · Post by **Zlatni ljiljan** » 15 Oct 2005 04:04

...and two more of Colonel Hadziefendic: