European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

But everything went well, they waited for night to fall, placed the bombs, and succeeded in derailing the train.

They stayed near the bridge the whole night, since the partisans had taken us to the right places.

If they weren’t covered properly they couldn’t have done anything.

Maybe they could have managed anyway, but they would have been in danger.

That time they were taken to the right bridge to set the mines.

The train arrived at five in the morning and at that point they said they killed a lot of people,

having derailed six or seven railway wagons full of ammunition.

The mission went well, and after two days they made it back to Secchio, pleased with their brilliant action.

Difficulties of partisan-life

I guess it was because I thought the war would be over soon.

Then once I started doing this it became something I had to do, some sort of duty,

just like taking care of house chores. It was something I really liked to do.

I did it with such enthusiasm that I wouldn’t even feel the distance I would cover by foot, from the Via Emilia,

leaving San Pietro in the morning, all the way to Secchia, where I arrived at night with bloody feet.

I was wearing English boots that the shoemaker had adapted to my feet.

Even so, once I got there, I couldn’t take it anymore because my feet were hurting badly.

After I completed my task, he would hand me a pair of scissors,

telling me that my nails were probably too long, and he suggested that I soak my feet to feel better.

I would then go to a house where two elderly women used to live, and I would finally sleep there in a real bed.

The following day they cooked polenta twice, for lunch and dinner.