European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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We went there with Carretti and met with a guy working for Edison, the local electric company:
We went there with Carretti and met with a guy working for Edison, the local electric company:
E allora siamo andati lì con Carretti, c’era un dipendente dell'Edison che era la società elettrica lì, -
they had a cave so they also had TNT, mines, gunpowder…
they had a cave so they also had TNT, mines, gunpowder…
che avevano una cava e perciò avevano anche il tritolo, le mine insomma, la polvere... -
We prepared the holes and then blew up a large arch of a very big bridge in Cinque Cerri.
We prepared the holes and then blew up a large arch of a very big bridge in Cinque Cerri.
e allora abbiamo fatto le buche e poi dopo abbiamo fatto saltare un’arcata grossa, un ponte che è grosso, quello di Cinque Cerri… un ponte grandissimo. -
Then we left for the mountains. From that day I was in battle.
Then we left for the mountains. From that day I was in battle.
E poi siamo andati su e da quel giorno lì sono stato in battaglia, insomma. -
We went to the headquarters in Lama Golese, on the Cusna mountain.
We went to the headquarters in Lama Golese, on the Cusna mountain.
Andiamo al comando a Lama Golese, Lama Golese che è sul Cusna. -
Pasquale Marconi was there, a teacher from Castelnovo Monti, who was a Christian Democrat, a catholic anyway.
Pasquale Marconi was there, a teacher from Castelnovo Monti, who was a Christian Democrat, a catholic anyway.
Lì c’era il comando, lì c’era Marconi Pasquale, un professore di Castelnovo Monti, democristiano, cattolico comunque, ecco; -
Then there were Eros, Miro, a Jewish doctor who was from Jugoslavia.
Then there were Eros, Miro, a Jewish doctor who was from Jugoslavia.
poi c’era Eros, c’era Miro, c’era un medico ebreo che era slavo, mi dissero che era jugoslavo, -
We spent a few days there.
We spent a few days there.
e abbiamo fatto un po’ di giorni lì, -
It was a sort of recruitment, but we didn’t have enough weapons;
It was a sort of recruitment, but we didn’t have enough weapons;
che era una specie di reclutamento, però le armi erano poche, -
we were waiting for Allied air drops that didn’t take place,
we were waiting for Allied air drops that didn’t take place,
aspettavano dei lanci dal cielo degli alleati che non venivano, -
so they sent four of us back to Ligonchio.
so they sent four of us back to Ligonchio.
e allora ci rimandarono a Ligonchio, in quattro. -
We went to Ligonchio and there really was a crowd of partisans there.
We went to Ligonchio and there really was a crowd of partisans there.
Siamo venuti a Ligonchio e lì c’era proprio un’infinità di partigiani, -
Unfortunately, not all of them were armed.
Unfortunately, not all of them were armed.
e purtroppo non tutti armati -
More partisans came, who wanted to fight, to enrol.
More partisans came, who wanted to fight, to enrol.
perché proprio era più forte l'affluenza dei partigiani, dei giovani che volevano combattere, volevano essere reclutati, -
More than weapons dropped from the sky or taken during attacks to the German garrisons.
More than weapons dropped from the sky or taken during attacks to the German garrisons.
che la quantità di armi che venivano gettate dal cielo o prese dagli attacchi ai presidi tedeschi, ecco. -
I was luckier than others, since I was given an English machine gun, a Sten gun, which was quite short.
I was luckier than others, since I was given an English machine gun, a Sten gun, which was quite short.
Io fortunatamente... sono stato fortunato più di altri, mi diedero un mitra inglese, uno Sten. Un mitra non lungo. -
You could disassemble it in three pieces and hide it, and put it together quickly.
You could disassemble it in three pieces and hide it, and put it together quickly.
Però funzionava anche perché si poteva smontare in tre pezzi e nasconderlo che poi si faceva presto a rimontarlo e così via. -
And I also had a 9 mm Beretta and four hand grenades.
And I also had a 9 mm Beretta and four hand grenades.
E una rivoltella Beretta calibro 9 e quattro bombe a mano, ecco. -
I stayed there with the First Battalion
I stayed there with the First Battalion
Dopo di che sono stato lì con il primo battaglione -
and we used to go on road 63, where German garrisons were all over the place.
and we used to go on road 63, where German garrisons were all over the place.
e si andava sulla Statale 63 e lì c’erano poi già tutti i presidi tedeschi...