European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

the “Piccinini”, the one I was in, whose commander was Otello Salsi from Cervarezza.

Then there was the “Bedeschi” group, whose commander was Luigi, one from Rivalta, a really nice guy.

And then we formed the “Camillo Prampolini” group, a socialist leader,

led by Valter from Cavriago, a big and bossy guy.

Then we went to carry out the attack on Villa Minozzo.

We went there on May 24th, the last day ...

The Italian government was telling to all the ones that had escaped from war to return,

but instead of handing us in to the government we carried out the attack to the command post in Villa Minozzo.

We were about fifty, but there were some who ...

I was placed in front of the barracks of the fascists, it was full of people inside,

I could hear them sing their songs.

I was a good marksman

but I was fifty meters away in a hole and couldn't get out because ...

We had a hard time because a plane came to shoot at us,

so we got stuck in the ditch like frogs, surrounded by nettles.

Hard moments.

I told my fellows that were 70-80 meters away and said:

"Shoot there, you shoot and we will walk under the shooting line!"

It was an operation for covering people we wanted to rescue.

They weren't experts, they shot like idiots with the machine guns, they shot a lot,