BalkanCollector

The last living recipient of the Order of People's Hero of Yugoslavia, Colonel-General Petar Matić "Dule" turns 100 years old today. His medals and orders were stolen during the 90's and Serbia decided to give him a replacement Order of the People's Hero today. On this article they claim that the order was acquired on the "market of antiques". https://www.subnor.org.rs/beograd-60?fbclid=IwAR3CyEPQA7Gvv1j7p6YDRaPTYlJkjDakPcWhaJT7XwyDEe6vFeG2Mtd60uY#more-20514

What an amazing group!

Amazing piece of history! I really like the Romanian authorization document.

Thank you very much! Yes, it's a real pleasure when you can trace some info on the man. Tito's signature actually isn't even a facsimile. It seems like it's a regular print just like the rest of the text. Also, it seems like the name of the guy who got this document was written by hand although I could be wrong. As for the number awarded, I really don't know. According to the official records there were 22.148 partisans during the battle and around 11.000 of them died during the battle and until the end of the war. I'm not sure how many were still alive in 1958 when these documents were being awarded for 15 years anniversary of the battle and if all of them were awarded with it. EDIT: I think that those numbers of how many were killed are based only on the names they could identify. The real number is probably even higher.

Transport ticket of the holder of Partizanska spomenica 1941. The number of the booklet is #5,XXX. Sadly, the award and the booklet are missing. The guy who got this was also a participant in the Battle of Sutjeska. He was a quartermaster(?) of a battalion in 3rd Dalmatian Brigade. Not sure how to translate "intendant" so I think quartermaster is close enough. He was 23 years old during the battle.

I have a group of photos of this man and I'd like to share these two. He was also a participant in the battle. He was a soldier of 7th Krajina Brigade and was also 19-20 years old at the time of the battle. By the end of the war he was a commander of platoon.

Document of recognition and gratitude for the soldiers who participated in the Battle of Sutjeska. This one was given to a soldier from 1st Dalmatian Brigade who was 19-20 years old during the battle. By the end of the war he was a commander of company.

On this day in 1943, the Axis operation Fall Schwarz or the Battle of Sutjeska began. Over 120,000 Axis troops encircled 22,000 Yugoslav partisans and thousands of civilians which resulted in over 7,500 killed partisans, a couple of thousand killed civilians and many more wounded. It is estimated that the partisan casualties were 2/3 killed and wounded. 7th Banija Division of the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia had 4,100 soldiers prior to the battle. Around 50% of its soldiers were killed during the battle's end in June. Only 550 soldiers of the division returned to Banija in September after heavy combat in Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro. Out of those 550, many more were killed by the end of the war in 1945. My absolute favorite group from my collection, the awards of one of those 550 soldiers who also survived the war. Born in 1917 in Banija, a farmer who joined the uprising in 1941 for which he got Partizanska spomenica 1941./Partisan Commemorative Award of 1941 (award on the left). He was also awarded with an Order for Bravery (award on the right) for the Battle of Sutjeska. I colorised and repaired some damage on the photo from the booklet.

Knight #56 Eino Ilmari Juutilainen, awarded with the 2nd class twice on April 26, 1942 and June 28, 1944

Thank you for your interest! Knight #54 Paavo Elias Kahla, awarded with the 2nd class on April 26, 1942

Knight #52 Martti Johannes Aho, awarded with the 2nd class twice on March 1, 1942 and October 16, 1944

What a unique item! Thanks for sharing!

Knight #51 Pietari Aleksanteri Autti, awarded with the 2nd class on March 1, 1942

Knight #50 Ilmari Kalervo Honkanen, awarded with the 2nd class on February 27, 1942

Knight #48 Axel Erik Heinrichs, awarded with the 2nd class on February 5, 1942 and with the 1st class on December 31, 1941 I only found a photo of him wearing the 2nd class.