Marko Mesić
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Marko Mesić was a commander of the army of the Independent State of Croatia.
He was born on September 30, 1901 in Bjelovar. Before joining the Croatian Home Defense army he was an officer in the Yugoslav army. Upon joining, he was assigned to the German 369th Reinforced Croatian Infantry Regiment (the "Croatian Legion") with 100th Light Infantry Division. He held the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the artillery section. Mesić participated in the battle of Stalingrad on the Eastern Front. The Croatian Legion suffered heavy casualties and Mesić become its last commander at the end of January of 1943. After capitulation of German 6th Army on February 2, Mesić and remains of Croatian Legion become prisoners of war.
He was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class by Germany and presuming he was dead he was posthumously awarded the Military Order of the Iron Trefoil by Independent State of Croatia and was promoted to full colonel.
He remained a prisoner of war for several years. His fate is unknown, his name appears in connections with 1st Yugoslav Brigade in Soviet Union and with Yugoslav artillery brigade of 4th Army, but he is thought to have died sometime in the late 1940s.
