European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

I didn’t even know this episode was known,

until one day the Carabinieri came knocking at my door telling me

that I would be awarded by the army, by the government.

I would be awarded a silver medal for military valour.

I wasn’t even proud of this, since I didn’t know that from such a story one could obtain this medal.

Activities as a partisan; battle-name

They called me Aurora and told me:

“Aurora, here we need someone who stays on duty the whole time”.

I was available night and day, unlike those who stayed at home

and did their household chores.

We needed someone who was always available.

I said alright, I’ll learn. I took typewriting classes, we got a typewriter and began my full daily life.

I was a dispatch rider, I was a secretary, I did everything that needed to be done.

In the beginning I went to Bologna twice a week,

picking up weapons and ammunitions if needed, but mostly new orders coming from the central headquarters,

which we depended on.

There were the central headquarters and then other headquarters all the way down to the brigades.

I worked without pause taking part in actions when it was needed,

shadowing and other actions of our brigade.

We had places we went to, we called them “recapiti” (addresses), where I brought things for everybody: