Simo Kecojević

Who was Simo Kecojević?

Simo Kecojevic was a Serbian freedom fighter. He was born in Boričje, Plužine, Piva, Montenegro as the son of Cvijeta and Milovan Kecojevic. The family moved to Serbia in 1895.

He was actively involved in all wars that Serbia and Yugoslavia waged from 1910 to 1945. Between 1910 and 1912, together with his twin brother Scepan Kecojevic, Simo was the leader of the Serbian Chetniks/Komita Movement as Prizrenski Vojvoda under the name Simce Kecalov. His brother went under the name of Prilepski Vojvoda.

The brothers were also well known leaders of the Toplica Rebellion movement. From 1912 to 1915 Simo and Scepan were soldiers in the 2nd Iron Regiment of the "Knjaz Mihailo - Moravska" Division. Vojvoda Radomir Putnik personally awarded Simo with the Bravery Medal for his action in combat during World War I. His brother Scepan was wounded and killed in Bulgaria in 1917.

Between the wars, Kecojevic worked as a farmer and was an active member of the Democratic Party. During World War II, Simo Kecojevic was Cetnicki Voivoda in South Serbia but in late 1941, soon after a disagreement with Kosta Pećanac, he joined the partisans as a Battalion Commander in Gajtan.