European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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Our duty was to blow up bridges, railway tracks and the like.
Our duty was to blow up bridges, railway tracks and the like.
Cioè il nostro compito era quello di far saltare dei ponti, delle ferrovie e compagnia bella. -
He taught us how to handle explosives,
He taught us how to handle explosives,
Lui ci ha insegnato come usare gli esplosivi, -
how to make mines, how to blow up railway tracks, how to blow up a road, or a military column.
how to make mines, how to blow up railway tracks, how to blow up a road, or a military column.
le mine come farle, come si fa per far saltare la ferrovia, come si fa per far saltare le strade, per far saltare una colonna militare, tutte queste cose. -
After we practiced a bit I think we were much better than our instructor.
After we practiced a bit I think we were much better than our instructor.
Che poi dopo con la pratica noi altri abbiamo anche superato il nostro istruttore in poche parole, -
They were trained recklessly;
They were trained recklessly;
perché questi istruttori secondo me li formavano così alla garibaldina, -
they were taught the most important things and then dropped in the partisan areas.
they were taught the most important things and then dropped in the partisan areas.
gli insegnavano le cose principali poi li lanciavano nelle zone partigiane. -
We started from scratch but were also trying to improve our military expertise.
We started from scratch but were also trying to improve our military expertise.
Invece noi siamo partiti da zero e poi dopo cercavamo anche di migliorare la nostra preparazione militare. -
As an example, it took us one and a half hours to blow up a bridge on road 63,
As an example, it took us one and a half hours to blow up a bridge on road 63,
Tant’è vero che per esempio un ponte sulla Statale 63 ci impiegavamo anche un’ora e mezza prima di farlo saltare -
as it was made of stones.
as it was made of stones.
perché erano tutti sassi ecc. -
We changed our method and were able to do it in fifteen minutes.
We changed our method and were able to do it in fifteen minutes.
Dopo noi riuscivamo, cambiando sistema, in un quarto d’ora facevamo saltare il ponte. -
In July, when the great mop-up took place,
In July, when the great mop-up took place,
Quando c’è stato il grande rastrellamento di luglio, -
there were just two or three of us sappers.
there were just two or three of us sappers.
lì succedeva che minatori c’eravamo in due o in tre, non di più, -
We were scattered around because the battle started at four in the morning,
We were scattered around because the battle started at four in the morning,
ma eravamo un po’ sparsi perché la battaglia è cominciata alle 4 del mattino, -
and by the evening the whole partisan area had been occupied by the Germans.
and by the evening the whole partisan area had been occupied by the Germans.
praticamente alla sera ormai tutta la zona partigiana era occupata dai tedeschi. -
We were in Carpineti and we reached Costabona.
We were in Carpineti and we reached Costabona.
E noi eravamo a Carpineti e avevamo raggiunto Costabona, -
The whole village was on fire.
The whole village was on fire.
e lì c’era il paese che bruciava, -
The Germans had set the village on fire as well as the crop and the wheat on the fields.
The Germans had set the village on fire as well as the crop and the wheat on the fields.
i tedeschi avevano bruciato tutto il paese e bruciato anche i raccolti, il grano sui campi, hanno bruciato anche quello lì… -
It was really a depressing view.
It was really a depressing view.
era una cosa desolante, proprio. -
There were around thirty of us of the Bedeschi detachment, yet unhurt.
There were around thirty of us of the Bedeschi detachment, yet unhurt.
E noi che eravamo ancora intatti, eravamo una trentina lì del distaccamento Bedeschi, -
There was also one of the detachments from Modena who had been joining forces with us at the beginning.
There was also one of the detachments from Modena who had been joining forces with us at the beginning.
poi c’era un distaccamento modenese che era uno di quelli che collaboravano con noi nei primi tempi.