Mile Mećava ( sr-Cyrl, Миле Мећава, ; 1915 – June 4, 1942) was a

Yugoslav Partisan The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...

and a hero from

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Early life

Mećeva was born in 1915 in a Serbian family from the village Vlaškovci, in the

Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...

, in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. His father Ostoja was a farmer. Also, he worked as the farmer before the

War War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

. Mećeva joined the Communist Party in 1941.

World War II

Mećeva joined

Yugoslav People's Liberation War World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was invaded and swiftly conquered by Axis forces and partitioned among Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and their client regimes. Shortly after Germany attac ...

in early 1941. In the first battles that took place in Aginci and Komlenac, he emerged as one of the bravest fighters of the Second Krajina (Kozara) Detachment. His courage stands out in battles on the mount

Kozara Kozara ( sr-cyrl, Козара) is a mountain in western Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the town of Kozarac and in the Bosanska Krajina region, bounded by the Sava River to the north, the Vrbas to the east, the Sana to the south, and the Una to t ...

, near Podgradci, Mrakovica and Turjak as well as near Gradina and Jasenovac. Also, he fought in conflicts on the

Prijedor Prijedor ( sr-cyrl, Приједор, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it had a population of 80,916 inhabitants within its administrative limits. Prijedor is situated in the northwestern part of the Bosanska ...

–

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the tr ...

railway.

Ambush in Lipovac

In January 1942, Mećeva enters into the Kozara Proletarian

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

, a newly formed assault unit led by Kosta Nađ and

Mladen Stojanović Mladen Stojanović ( sr-cyr, Младен Стојановић; 7 April 1896 – 1 April 1942) was a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslavs, Yugoslav physician who led a detachment of Yugoslav Partisans, Par ...

. According to Nađ, the split between the Partisans and the

Chetniks The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

Bosanska Krajina Bosanska Krajina ( sr-Cyrl, Босанска Крајина, , ) is a geographical region, a subregion of Bosnia, in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is enclosed by several rivers, namely the Sava (north), Glina (northwest), Vrbanja and Vrba ...

and central Bosnia began on 14 December 1941 in the village of Javorani.

Lazar Tešanović Lazar Tešanović ( sr-Cyrl, Лазар Тешановић) was a Serbian schoolteacher and military officer. He was a reserve lieutenant of Royal Yugoslav Army and, later, the Chetniks military officer during World War II. World War II During t ...

, a schoolteacher in Javorani, influenced members of the local Partisan unit to join the Chetnik side. Tešanović then organised a Chetnik unit of about 70 to 80 men, and at the beginning of March 1942, he and his men were in the village of Lipovac. On 5 March, Mećava and his Kozara Proletarian Company led by Stojanović, Nađ, and Danko Mitrov (the commander of the 4th Krajina Detachment) set out for Lipovac. According to some sources, they went to Lipovac for pre-arranged negotiations with Tešanović, while other sources state that they intended to disarm Tešanović and his Chetniks. When the column of the Partisans approached the school in Lipovac, they were ambushed by Chetniks, and Mećava was wounded as well as Stojanović, who was severely wounded in the head., pp. 163–171 The Partisans remained pinned down by Chetniks fire until evening; thirteen were killed and eight beside Mećava and Stojanović were wounded. At nightfall, he and the other wounded were transported to the Partisan field hospital in Jošavka.

Battle of Dubica and death

On 1 June 1942, the Ustaše Black Legion led by

Jure Francetić Jure Francetić (3 July 1912 – 27/28 December 1942) was a Independent State of Croatia, Croatian Ustaša Commissioner for the Bosnia (region), Bosnia and Herzegovina regions of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) during World War II, and co ...

attacked the Free Territory of Kozara with tanks from Dubica and Jasenovac. In this battle, Mećava entered as a

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

of the 1st Proletarian Company of the Assault Battalion. In the battle in Klekovci, he dismantled two enemy

tanks A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; t ...

Fiat L6/40. Mećava has jumped on the first tank and liquidated tank's crew with hand grenades. Although he was hit hard from a neighbouring tank he continued to fight. When he defeated the crew of the second tank, he died of his injuries. His actions have seized two completely correct tanks on the

Kadin Jelovac Kadin Jelovac ( sr-cyrl, Кадин Јеловац) is a village in the municipality of Kozarska Dubica, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a c ...

– Sreflije

battlefront In a military context, the term front can have several meanings. According to official US Department of Defense and NATO definitions, a front can be "the line of contact of two opposing forces."Leonard, B. (2011). Department of Defense Dictio ...

. These tanks were the first ones of the Partisans on Kozara. After the battle, ''Radio Free Yugoslavia'' repeated several times news of the heroism of the Mećava who heroically died on a hostile tank.

Aftermath

Mećava has posthumously bestowed the National Hero of Yugoslavia. On his behalf, on 24 July 1953, his sister Vukosava received his medal of the

Order of the People's Hero The Order of the People's Hero or the Order of the National Hero ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Orden narodnog heroja, Oрден народног хероја; , ), was a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav gallantry medal, the ...

Personal life

Mećeva had 10 siblings. His brothers Marko, Branko, and Ljuban were killed in the

Jasenovac concentration camp Jasenovac () was a concentration camp, concentration and extermination camp established in the Jasenovac, Sisak-Moslavina County, village of the same name by the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in occupied Yugoslavia durin ...

in 1942. His youngest sister Vukosava was the only survivor of World War II. He is not related to fellow Serbian military officer and National Hero of Yugoslavia Petar Mećava.

Legacy

*''10th Moštanica Working Brigade "Mile Mećava"'' was formed in the summer of 1943. Brigade was engaged in agricultural work. * A street in the city center of

Kozarska Dubica Kozarska Dubica/Bosanska Dubica is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 21,542 inhabitants, while the town of Kozarska Dubica has a population of 11,566 inhabitants. Geography I ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

bears his name. * In the village

Gunjevci Gunjevci ( sr-cyrl, Гуњевци) is a village in the municipality of Kozarska Dubica, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southe ...

, near Kozarska Dubica, is a statue of Mile Mećava. Near the statue is parked an old

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian, Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and ; , J ...

tank.

Awards and decorations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mecava, Mile 1915 births 1942 deaths Bosnia and Herzegovina people of World War II People from Dubica, Bosnia and Herzegovina Recipients of the Order of the People's Hero Serbian people of World War II Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Yugoslav communists Yugoslav military personnel killed in World War II Yugoslav Partisans members Yugoslav military personnel