10 Facts About Rafael Boban

Rafael "Ranko" Boban was a Croatian military commander who served in the Ustase Militia and Croatian Armed Forces during World War II.

Rafael Boban fought with the Ustase until the end of the war, when he is reported to have evaded the Yugoslav Partisans and reached the Austrian town of Bleiburg.

Rafael Boban was born on 22 December 1907 in the village of Sovici, near the town of Grude, Austria-Hungary.

Rafael Boban served as an officer in the Royal Yugoslav Army prior to joining Ustase units based in Italy in the summer of 1932.

Rafael Boban went to Kupres with 250 Ustase under his command and organized mass murder of local Serbs.

On 3 July 1941 Rafael Boban commanded one of three main groups of Ustase forces that attacked the rebels along the line: Vranjkuk - Rupari - Trusina - Susnjatica.

Rafael Boban assumed full command of the legion following Francetic's death in December 1942.

Rafael Boban was promoted to the rank of general in December 1944 and became the head of the Podravina-based Fifth Ustase Active Brigade of the Croatian Armed Forces that month.

Rafael Boban held the rank of colonel within the Ustase Militia by April 1945.

In 1951, Rafael Boban was named the Croatian Minister of Defence in-exile by Pavelic.