Īle Partisan Group III National Partizans
Formed in 1946 when the Kabile partisan group was divided, the Īle Partisan Group was led by Commander Visvaldis Brizga nicknamed Kārlis Krauja.
The group initially operated in Lithuania, but returned to the Zemgale region of Latvia in 1947. The group had 27 members in 1948. In the winter of 1948/1949, they built a bunker near the Īle forestry, 300 metres north of the Priedīši estate.
In terms of its size, this is the largest known closed national partisan bunker in Latvia. On 17 March 1949, 24 men, including 15 Latvians and 9 Lithuanians, fought in a battle against troops of the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) USSR.
The commander of the group did not take part in the battle. He was killed on 24 February 1950, during a battle in Saldus, at 33/35 Striķu Street.
More information sources
TE: Ile Guerrilla Bunker - YouTube> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuKkLYD3bhY
Story from Īle National Partisan Bunker - YouTube> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ACJcoyCJyM
Reconstruction of the battle for the attack on Īle's national partisan bunker 62 years ago - YouTube
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