In the sanatorium of Bari (Italy),passed away Mehmet Delia (also known as Mehmet I Vogël, 1898–1946), a fighter in the movement against Serbian occupation and for national unification, a participant in the democratic movement in the 20s of the 20th century. He was born in Radishevë of Drenica (Kosovo). Since 1913, he participated in the fight against the Serbian invaders. During 1916-1924, he became known as a fighter and leader in the rebellious groups of Drenica. He was a close associate of Azem Galica. After the death of Azem Galica, Mehmet Delia and Shote Galica led the well-known Drenica group for two years. In the political confrontations in Albania from 1921 to 1924, he sided with the democratic opposition, occasionally aligning with the armed forces of Bajram Curri. After leaving Kosovo in 1924, he settled in the Albanian state. He served as a career officer, mainly on the Albanian-Greek border, and reached the rank of captain. During the Italo-Greek War (1940–1941), he refused to obey the Italian command’s order to fight against the Greek forces with his company. Due to his connections with anti-fascist elements, he was arrested in November 1942 and sent to the prison in Bari, where he passed away. (In the photo: Mehmet Delia)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH,” Tirana, 2008, page 433.
Photo: © https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehmet_Delia
Graphic processing: AHCF
