Abdulla Dagci (1900 – 26 June 1943) was a Crimean Tatar Soviet partisan commander based around the city of Simferopol during World War II. Responsible for organising both the Simferopol resistance and resistance among ethnic Crimean Tatars, Dagci was captured and executed by the Germans in July 1943. Following his death, he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice (in 1943 and 1966), with neither nomination being accepted by the Soviet government. Early life and career Abdulla Dagci was born in 1900, in the village of Körbekül (now ), in what was then part of the Russian Empire. In 1924, he completed training to become a cadre of the All-Union Communist Party, and became head of the Massandra Winery combine. In 1932, he was appointed as head of the Balaklava District party committee. He later became head of the Yalta Raion party committee. World War II Following the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, Dagci was involved in the evacuation of civilians from Crimea, additionally playing a role in the construction of a stay-behind network to serve as a basis for underground activity following German occupation. Shortly prior to the capture of Simferopol by German forces, Dagci fled with his family to the village of . From Stilâ, Dagci and his family fled to Sevastopol, where they joined with remaining Red Army forces on the retreat. Shortly thereafter, however, the Red Army was encircled around Yalta and Dagci's family was forced to flee to the Crimean Mountains, where they met with the Soviet partisans operating in Crimea. Dagci and his sister joined the partisans, and were tasked with capturing the mayor of the village of , a mission they successfully completed. In September 1942, Dagci was placed as the leader of a group of ten partisans, including his sister, who were to establish an underground network in the city of Simferopol. The network was established in the village of , located outside of Simferopol. At this time, Dagci took on the nickname of "Uncle Volodya" (). Dagci's network was the largest in Crimea during World War II, encompassing members of the German security forces, hospitals, and the collaborationist local government of Yalta. It participated in the rail war and attacks on German military bases, provided supplies to the partisans, and collected 20,000 rubles, which were sent to the Soviet Union proper and used to build an aeroplane.