brochure “Partizanski spomenik u Mostaru” (1980)
book “Spomenica Mostara 1941-1945.”
another document or proof of the memorial stone (e.g., a photograph).
Husref S. KRPO
HUSREF KRPO, son of SULEJMAN, born in Mostar on April 15th, 1912. He studied in Belgrade and Zagreb. As a student, he participated in various sports and became the skiing champion of Yugoslavia among students. He studied Germanic studies. After completing his studies, he worked as a professor in Skopje from October 1940, but not for long, as he was called up for reserve duty in the 32nd Infantry Regiment. He participated in the battles on the Albanian front, where he distinguished himself as a lieutenant. After the capitulation, he escaped captivity and, as an experienced mountaineer, returned to Mostar through the mountains in an officer’s uniform. He later found employment as a professor at Mostar Gymnasium and Trade Academy. Soon after, he became involved in the underground movement. He requested permission from the party organization to join the partisans, which was granted to him only in February 1942. He joined the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments in March 1942, in the 1st Assault Partisan Battalion in eastern Herzegovina. He served as a political worker in the Battalion Headquarters and was a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. He was captured by the Chetniks during the Chetnik coup and the Italian-Chetnik offensive on May 30th, 1942, following an attack on the hospital in Zvjerina. He was killed near Viduška Jama, in the village of Morča near Bileća. The bodies of those executed were thrown into a pit.
From the memories of comrades:
“Unfortunately, our relatively well-organized hospital did not have a long life. The enemy began to attack this territory, and we had to prepare for retreat. So one night, during the retreat, Dr. Mujić arrived at our hospital from Izgor with his wounded, Dr. Mujić. After a few days, the Chetniks attacked our hospital. There were battles around the hospital all day long. It was the target of the attack, and in the evening, we were surrounded and captured (…). They closed the group they singled out in the rooms of neighboring houses and tortured them there. During the night of May 29/30, 1942, they took them and threw them into the Viduška pit: Risto-Ćićo Milićević, Husref Ćišić, Husref Krpo from Mostar, Ako Selimović and Sejfudin Selimović from Bileća, and Hasiba Ramović and Aku Kazazić from Nevesinje.
Husref Krpo is one of the three professors from Mostar Gymnasium whose name was recorded on a memorial plaque after the war. The plaque disappeared without a trace during the war events of 1992-1995. A street in Mostar is named after the Krpo brothers.
Read more on Husref Krpo here (also more photos, in Bosnian): https://partizansko.info/husref-krpo-pionir-jugoslovenskog-skijanja-pali-borac-sa-partizanskog/
Konjhodžić, Mahmud (1981): “Mostarke”: fragmenti o revolucionarnoj djelatnosti i patriotskoj opredjeljenosti žena Mostara, o njihovoj borbi za slobodu i socijalizam, Opštinski odbor SUBNOR-a Mostar; grupa autora (1961): Hercegovina u NOB 1. dio, Beograd, Vojno delo; Džemil Šarac, article „Sa Mostarcima“, Hercegovina br 9, str 221; https://poskok.info/mostarke-u-doba-okupacije-sloboda-nije-stigla-iz-bajke/ ; various authors: Spomenica Mostara 1941-1945; Š. Pašić, article “Ulica braće Krpo”, (source: CIDOM), Vlajko Skiba, “Na posljednjem ispitu” (1971.)
Photo of the fighter: the Archives of the Krpo Demirović family. Photo of the memorial plaque: S. Demirović (2018.).
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