Marko Mesić (1901–1982)
| Marko Mesić | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
30 September 1901 Bjelovar, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 9 February 1982 (aged 80) Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Buried | Mirogoj Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
Royal Yugoslav Army Wehrmacht (Croatian Legion) Yugoslav People's Army |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Years of service | –1945 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | Croatian Legion |
| Wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Iron Cross Military Order of the Iron Trefoil |
| Relations | Franjo Mesić (father) Katarina Mesić (mother) Dragutin Mesić (brother) |
Marko Mesić (30 September 1901 – 9 February 1982) was a decorated gunnery officer who served in the armies of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Independent State of Croatia, and the SFR Yugoslavia. He is best known for being the final commander of Croatian legionnaires in World War II, serving in the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front and in the Battle of Stalingrad.
Mesić was born in Bjelovar, Croatia (then part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire), to Franjo and Katarina Mesić (née Blau). He received eight years of schooling in Pécs, Hungary; Karlovac, Croatia; and Maribor, Slovenia, before graduating as an artillery/gunnery officer at the Royal Yugoslav military academy in Belgrade. He is the father of Stjepan Mesić who was born in 1934.
He served as an active commissioned officer in Royal Yugoslav Army artillery units until 1941. At the start of the April War, Mesić was artillery Lieutenant Colonel in command of the Royal Yugoslav Army artillery regiment serving in Niš, near the Bulgarian border.
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