European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

They decided to set up a unit called “Fiamme Verdi” (green flames),

and went around asking for people to join them. They asked me, too, since I was a catholic.

I didn’t go since I liked being with the “Garibaldini”.

That day, the Fiamme Verdi brigade was formed,

with Don Carlo as commander and, later on, my dear friend Aldo Dall’Aglio second-in-command.

He died on the Prampa on the 10th of January after the mop-up of the 7th.

He had also asked me to join them.

Maybe it was a good thing I didn’t go,

since all those who were second-in-command or in other positions in the “Fiamme Verdi” died in battle.

Saboteurs; German mob-up in July 1944

I attended a course for saboteurs. I think we were five.

The Allies were air-dropping explosives the whole time. Nobody knew how to use them.

One day they also parachuted a saboteur to teach us.

Our duty was to blow up bridges, railway tracks and the like.

He taught us how to handle explosives,

how to make mines, how to blow up railway tracks, how to blow up a road, or a military column.

After we practiced a bit I think we were much better than our instructor.

They were trained recklessly;

they were taught the most important things and then dropped in the partisan areas.

We started from scratch but were also trying to improve our military expertise.