Bistrica ob Dravi, Memorial Plaque to the Soldiers of the Pohorska Ceta

Pohorska četa Lackovega odreda, which remained on Pohorje after the main body of the detachment left for Kozjak in September 1944, carried out operations in a relatively large area. It mainly destroyed the railway lines Maribor-Celje and Maribor-Dravograd, and attacked smaller enemy outposts. Its most important action took place in Bistrica near Limbuš on the night of 27 December 1944. The detachment's command decided to carry out the action in order to improve its armament, as due to the influx of new recruits the detachment was seriously lacking in weapons and other equipment.

Not all of the detachment went to Bistrica. The partisans first carried out a supply action, in which they captured large quantities of flour, wine, two oxen, a pig and other items, then they went to the factory of weapons and metal products, where they destroyed the office, captured typewriters and collected drive belts, which they used as insoles for their footwear.

After the partisans completed the supply action at the factory, a group of twelve volunteers attacked the military outpost at the railway station, which was protected by barbed wire, mines and bunkers. Through deception, the partisans first disarmed the guards and then the remaining soldiers. Only the commander tried to resist, but they quickly subdued him. The disarmed soldiers, from whom the partisans took their uniforms and left them only in their underwear, were warned to leave Bistrica as soon as possible, because otherwise, if they returned, they would be killed. The partisans captured a machine gun, a submachine gun, 16 rifles, a rocket pistol, 30 hand grenades and a considerable amount of ammunition at the station in Bistrica. They also destroyed equipment in the traffic office. The rich spoils they dragged on sleds to Pohorje. The successful action of the Pohorska četa Lackovega odreda in Bistrica near Limbuš (on the Drava) was important because it was carried out during a period of intense occupier offensive activity in the area of the 4th operational sector. Units of this sector did not capture any other occupier outpost by the end of 1944.

The memorial plaque was unveiled in 1983. Its dimensions are 60 x 90 x 3 cm.

Source: Marjan Žnidarič, Spominska obeležja Lackovega odreda, Maribor, 2007, p. 39

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Bistrica_ob_Dravi