European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

Because when you were on sentinel or on patrol

you were supposed to do what had to be done

and guarantee safety to the detachment.

Crossing the river Enza

Two days before crossing the Enza river

the commander of the battalion, called "Cicci", came to us and said:

"Guys, we thought it was the usual action of the Germans and the Fascists

but this time it's a roundup, a sweep on a large scale

that goes from Ciano to Casina, to Castelnovo Monti, all the way up to Vetto.

The whole area is being closed up and they're trying to get us by encircling us".

So it was decided to protect all the partisans in the Vetto-Rosano area

and to bring us down to the Enza river so at night we crossed the river.

At night the commander told us:

"Now we have to set up a really safe guard because the Germans are everywhere.

You can see them, so keep your eyes open and be careful

because if we happen to do something

or to kill a German they're going to burn down the entire village".

So at 3 a.m. we were ordered to move

because by that time there were no partisans around,

so we were the last lines moving and could be calm.