European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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For them I was a stranger, they wanted proof:
For them I was a stranger, they wanted proof:
Per loro ero uno sconosciuto. Volevano una prova -
How reliable is this man and what can he do?
How reliable is this man and what can he do?
di quanto fossi affidabile e di cosa sapessi fare. -
They said: “We need ammunition. Can you provide us with a box of hand grenades?
They said: “We need ammunition. Can you provide us with a box of hand grenades?
Mi dissero che avevano bisogno di munizioni: "Puoi procurarci una cassa di granate? -
We have explosives - but not enough - everything else is available!”
We have explosives - but not enough - everything else is available!”
Abbiamo l'esplosivo, non abbastanza, ma il resto c'è!" -
It was a tough job,
It was a tough job,
Fu molto difficile, -
but during a transport I put aside a box of hand grenades at the risk of loosing my life and let them know.
but during a transport I put aside a box of hand grenades at the risk of loosing my life and let them know.
ma durante un trasporto misi in disparte una cassa di granate, rischiando la mia vita. Poi li informai. -
Three days later the district recruiting office in Bayreuth was blown up with the entire file.
Three days later the district recruiting office in Bayreuth was blown up with the entire file.
Tre giorni dopo a Bayreuth, l'ufficio distrettuale di leva saltò in aria con tutto lo schedario. -
In the ammunition factory the most important machine was blown up and the most difficult:
In the ammunition factory the most important machine was blown up and the most difficult:
Nella fabbrica d'armi, la macchina più importante fu distrutta. La parte più difficile: -
on the air field we blew up two out of three machines.
on the air field we blew up two out of three machines.
nell'aerodromo, facemmo esplodere due macchine su tre. -
It wasn’t me, that were the anti-fascists from Bayreuth, but I helped.
It wasn’t me, that were the anti-fascists from Bayreuth, but I helped.
Non io, ma gli antifascisti di Bayreuth. Io però li aiutai come recluta. -
The question was what you were able do as a soldier in an unfamiliar environment.
The question was what you were able do as a soldier in an unfamiliar environment.
La questione era: cosa si poteva fare da soldati in un territorio sconosciuto? -
We always tried to build anti-fascist cells and if it was one man or two.
We always tried to build anti-fascist cells and if it was one man or two.
Cercammo sempre di creare gruppi antifascisti, -
It was not easy to find out where somebody was, thinking the same as you.
It was not easy to find out where somebody was, thinking the same as you.
ma non era facile scoprire chi la pensava come noi. -
You had to proceed carefully with questions.
You had to proceed carefully with questions.
Dovevamo fare attenzione ad alcune domande. -
Sometimes somebody told a joke and you could tell by the kind of reaction:
Sometimes somebody told a joke and you could tell by the kind of reaction:
A volte si facevano delle battute e dal modo in cui reagivano -
is he an opponent of fascism or not.
is he an opponent of fascism or not.
si capiva chi era un oppositore del fascismo o chi si indignava davanti a quelle battute contro i nazisti. -
Wherever I went, within short time I always had an anti-fascist cell in my unit.
Wherever I went, within short time I always had an anti-fascist cell in my unit.
Nel tempo in cui fui soldato, ci fu sempre e ovunque un gruppo antifascista all'interno dell'unità. -
It was a lot easier later, after I was badly wounded
It was a lot easier later, after I was badly wounded
Fu ancora meglio dopo la mia grave ferita. -
and we tried as a small group to do what we could.
and we tried as a small group to do what we could.
Come piccolo gruppo cercammo di fare il possibile. -
Like throw a spanner in the works a little bit, being aware that alone one cannot achieve a lot.
Like throw a spanner in the works a little bit, being aware that alone one cannot achieve a lot.
Quindi gli mettemmo i bastoni tra le ruote. Sapevamo che uno solo non poteva ottenere molto,