Bogdanovci: The 'Relay of Death', a heroic defence and 130 lives lost

On November 10, 1991, after 40 days of complete encirclement and an extraordinary struggle for survival, the village of Bogdanovci fell. The village, near Vukovar, shared the fate of the besieged city. Around 200 Croatian defenders and local residents held out against a vastly superior enemy force until they ran out of ammunition.

In a desperate attempt to break through to freedom, members of the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS) risked their lives to clear a path through minefields in what became known as the 'Relay of Death'. Following the fall of the village, 130 Croatian defenders and civilians were killed, including women, children and elderly residents. Bogdanovci was left in ruins, but its people never abandoned their determination to return home.

The Corn Road - the besieged city's last lifeline

During the siege of Vukovar, the city's only link to the outside world was the so-called 'Corn Road' - a rural track concealed by tall cornfields that ran through Bogdanovci, Marinci and Nuštar.

This route maintained a vital connection with the besieged city until late October 1991, when the fall of Marinci cut it off.

Bogdanovci was then left completely surrounded. Along a stretch of land just six kilometres long and approximately 150 metres wide, a desperate struggle for survival unfolded.

For 40 days, the defenders resisted daily infantry and tank attacks by a far larger and better-equipped enemy force.

The final breakthrough: Six kilometres between life and death

Around 200 members of the Croatian National Guard, the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS), the police and local residents took part in the defence of Bogdanovci.

When ammunition ran out, the difficult decision was made to withdraw. On November 10, defenders set out in several groups, accompanied by wounded soldiers and civilians. Among those attempting to escape was a pregnant woman.

Although Nuštar, which was also under heavy shelling, was just six kilometres away, the journey to safety took several days and nights for some.

They made their way through minefields and enemy-controlled territory, never knowing whether they would survive the next step.

The 'Relay of Death' - risking their lives to save others

One of the most harrowing episodes of the breakthrough became known as the 'Relay of Death', involving members of the Croatian Defence Forces.

They walked at the head of the column through minefields, fully aware that every step could be their last.

When the first defender stepped on a mine, another would voluntarily take his place, continuing to clear a path for those following behind.

It was an extraordinary act of courage and sacrifice, as the defenders exposed themselves to mortal danger in an effort to save the wounded, civilians and fellow soldiers.

The exact number of HOS members killed during this deadly operation has never been established.

The fall of Bogdanovci: 130 killed and a village destroyed

As defenders and civilians attempted to reach safety, forces of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Serbian paramilitary units entered Bogdanovci. They numbered more than 1,500 and were heavily armed.

Killings and massacres followed. A total of 130 defenders and civilians lost their lives, including women, children and elderly or immobile residents who had remained in the village.

Family homes, cultural buildings and religious sites were destroyed. What had once been a peaceful Slavonian village was reduced to rubble.

Bogdanovci suffered the same fate as Vukovar, becoming a lasting symbol of the suffering, courage and resistance of the Croatian Homeland War.

Seven years of waiting to return home

Despite the devastation, the displaced residents of Bogdanovci never gave up hope of returning. From the earliest days of their displacement, they began preparing for the moment they could once again set foot in their village.

Most were accommodated in the refugee settlement of Rokovci, just three kilometres as the crow flies from their homes.

So close, yet still out of reach.

For seven long years, they waited to return, carrying memories of loved ones they had lost and the lives that war had taken from them.

Bogdanovci lay in ruins, but its residents never lost their determination to come home. The memory of the defenders and civilians who lost their lives, and the sacrifices they made, remains an enduring part of Croatia's history.