Zvonimir Vučković
Yugoslav Chetnik leader / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Zvonimir Vučković (Serbian Cyrillic: Звонимир Вучковић; 1916—2004) was a Yugoslav Chetnik military commander holding the rank of Major and vojvoda during World War II and one of the closest associates of Draža Mihailović.[1]
Zvonimir Vučković | |
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Nickname(s) | Zvonko |
Born | (1916-07-06)6 July 1916 Bijeljina, Austria-Hungary (modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina) |
Died | 21 December 2004(2004-12-21) (aged 88) California, United States |
Allegiance | Kingdom of Yugoslavia |
Service/ | Chetniks |
Rank | Major |
Commands held |
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Battles/wars |
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Awards | |
Spouse(s) | Anka née Smiljanić |
Vučković was born in Bijeljina in Croatian family Prkić in 1916. After his father died when he was four, Vučkovićs mother married Aleksandar Vučković from Vranje. Zvonimir completed military academy in Belgrade and became military officer of the Royal Yugoslav Army, first in Zagreb, then in Belgrade. When he heard that Yugoslav government signed tripartite pact with Nazi Germany on 25 March 1941, Vučković immediately left the country to join Greek Army struggling against Fascist Italy as an act of protest. After his own country was invaded by the Axis he returned and in June 1941 joined guerilla units of the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland, commonly known as Chetniks.
In September he established the Takovo Chetnik Detachment and became its commander. On 29 September 1941 he commanded his detachment, supported by one unit of communist Partisans, and liberated Gornji Milanovac. He later became a commander of the 1st Ravna Gora Corps. He left Yugoslavia as member of the Chetnik political and military mission at the end of the Operation Halyard, also organized by him, and spent the rest of his life in US.