European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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The Partisans were an army with no uniforms and no supplies.
The Partisans were an army with no uniforms and no supplies.
Che era un esercito che era senza divisa, era senza rifornimenti e viveri, era senza tutto. -
They had nothing.
They had nothing.
Aveva tutto e niente di quello che era un esercito regolare. -
That’s why we started to get hold of small things for them.
That’s why we started to get hold of small things for them.
Quindi noi donne cercare di accaparrarsi queste piccole cose. -
It might seem nothing to you now, but every time we went to ask families for a pair of pants,
It might seem nothing to you now, but every time we went to ask families for a pair of pants,
Per voi adesso non vuol dire niente, per noi andare presso le famiglie a chiedere un paio di pantaloni, un paio di guanti -
gloves, a shirt or a pair of shoes to send off to the partisans, we risked our lives.
gloves, a shirt or a pair of shoes to send off to the partisans, we risked our lives.
una maglia, un paio di scarpe da mandare ai partigiani in montagna, voleva dire mettere la tua vita nel pericolo più grande che ci poteva essere, -
It was extremely dangerous, because the fascists, assisted by the Germans, would arrest us and torture us.
It was extremely dangerous, because the fascists, assisted by the Germans, would arrest us and torture us.
perché allora i fascisti erano appoggiati dai tedeschi, quindi le cose più brutte le facevano… perché ci arrestavano, ci torturavano e così via. -
The women who worked in the Women support groups in the lowlands faced danger everyday.
The women who worked in the Women support groups in the lowlands faced danger everyday.
Noi che abbiamo lavorato nei gruppi di difesa della donna in pianura, il nostro rischio era così, -
We carried out our tasks open-faced, and we had no battle names.
We carried out our tasks open-faced, and we had no battle names.
perché noi andavamo a viso scoperto, non avevamo nomi… come si dice… di battaglia. -
For example, we handed out leaflets and circulated news. News went around in our bags, by bicycle.
For example, we handed out leaflets and circulated news. News went around in our bags, by bicycle.
Perché per esempio non so si portava in giro i volantini, le notizie. Le notizie giravano nelle nostre borse, in bicicletta. -
As for leaflets, if you were stopped, just like they did with me in front of the hospice,
As for leaflets, if you were stopped, just like they did with me in front of the hospice,
Però i volantini se ti fermavano, come hanno fermato me all’Ospizio che mi hanno preso la bicicletta, voleva dire eh… -
you would have been locked up for the rest of your life.
you would have been locked up for the rest of your life.
andare in galera dritte dritte e non saltare mai più fuori. -
We moved weapons around. I used to hide hand grenades in a bag with potatoes:
We moved weapons around. I used to hide hand grenades in a bag with potatoes:
Si trasportava armi. Io per esempio nella borsa con le patate dentro ci mettevo le bombe a mano, perché le patate erano rognose -
hand grenades at the bottom, potatoes on top.
hand grenades at the bottom, potatoes on top.
anche loro e quindi le bombe a mano in fondo e sopra le patate. -
Especially at the beginning, partisans assaulted fascist garrisons to get hold of weapons.
Especially at the beginning, partisans assaulted fascist garrisons to get hold of weapons.
Perché i partigiani per recuperare le armi, voi lo saprete, ma ve lo racconto anche io, che al primo momento davano l’assalto a tutti i presidi fascisti per recuperare le armi. -
These weapons had to be carried around from one person to the other.
These weapons had to be carried around from one person to the other.
E quindi queste armi dopo dovevano essere trasportate da una persona all’altra e così via. -
It was also vital to circulate news. Those in the mountains had to know what was going on in the lowlands.
It was also vital to circulate news. Those in the mountains had to know what was going on in the lowlands.
Poi c’era il bisogno delle notizie, i giovani erano in montagna ma dovevano sapere cosa succedeva in pianura. -
We would go back and forth to pass on these small notes regarding the Germans’ activities,
We would go back and forth to pass on these small notes regarding the Germans’ activities,
Quindi c’era l’andare e venire sempre di questi piccoli bigliettini per portare le notizie di come si muovevano i tedeschi, -
if mop-ups were taking place, if our men were in danger.
if mop-ups were taking place, if our men were in danger.
di quello che facevano i tedeschi, se c’erano i rastrellamenti, se i nostri uomini erano in pericolo. -
In the event of a mop-up we told each other by bicycle.
In the event of a mop-up we told each other by bicycle.
Se c’era un rastrellamento noi in bicicletta ci davamo la voce -
Then four or five of us from around the hamlet would pass on the warning.
Then four or five of us from around the hamlet would pass on the warning.
poi in quattro o cinque dai vari capi della frazione nel giro di mezz’ora o venticinque minuti noi davamo l’allarme