European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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It’s truly a great memory.
It’s truly a great memory.
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Allied airdrop with food and weapon supplies
Allied airdrop with food and weapon supplies
Fallschirmabwürfe der Alliierten mit Nahrung und Waffen -
An American colonel had crashed with his airplane and had to stay in Ligonchio for a while.
An American colonel had crashed with his airplane and had to stay in Ligonchio for a while.
Eines Sonntags war ein amerikanischer Oberst mit seinem Flugzeug abgestürzt und blieb eine Weile in Ligonghio. -
There was little to eat, and he was fed even less than the others.
There was little to eat, and he was fed even less than the others.
Es gab nicht viel zu essen, und damit er etwas litt, gaben sie ihm noch weniger als den anderen. -
So he told our captain: “If I manage to get to Florence I’ll organize an air-drop and drop you a lot of good food”.
So he told our captain: “If I manage to get to Florence I’ll organize an air-drop and drop you a lot of good food”.
Also sagte er zum Kommandanten: "Wenn ich es nach Florenz schaffe, organisiere ich dir einen Abwurf mit Flugzeugen und schicke dir jede Menge Leckereien". -
He kept his word.
He kept his word.
Er hat Wort gehalten. -
He crossed the front lines and got to Florence.
He crossed the front lines and got to Florence.
Er hat die Front überquert und gelangte nach Florenz. -
There was communication from Ligonchio then, from Lama Golese to Florence; there were English officers with radios,
There was communication from Ligonchio then, from Lama Golese to Florence; there were English officers with radios,
Damals gab es keine Kommunikationsmöglichtkeit von Ligonghio, Lama Golese, nach Florenz... nur einige englische Offiziere mit Funkgeräten, -
it was just like talking with a telephone today.
it was just like talking with a telephone today.
die konnten genau wie jetzt mit dem Telefon sprechen. -
So he did this air-drop, on a Sunday morning, there were airplanes all over
So he did this air-drop, on a Sunday morning, there were airplanes all over
Jedenfalls organisierte er diesen Abwurf, an einem Sonntagmorgen kamen von überall her Flugzeuge -
and they dropped all sorts of things, even gasoline tanks looking like missiles.
and they dropped all sorts of things, even gasoline tanks looking like missiles.
und warfen sogar lange Benzinkanister ab, die wie Raketen aussahen. -
They even dropped two small Lambrettas,
They even dropped two small Lambrettas,
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a light gun, a whole lot of stuff, things to eat.
a light gun, a whole lot of stuff, things to eat.
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Quite a few parachutes fell on the other side of the river and were taken by the Germans.
Quite a few parachutes fell on the other side of the river and were taken by the Germans.
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Later the Germans tried to go take some on our side too,
Later the Germans tried to go take some on our side too,
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and that’s when a partisan died, poor man, his name was Nello Vergai, he was a sailor from Caprile.
and that’s when a partisan died, poor man, his name was Nello Vergai, he was a sailor from Caprile.
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He was shot and he took cover wounded,
He was shot and he took cover wounded,
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but he hid so well that we didn’t find him.
but he hid so well that we didn’t find him.
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The woodmen found him two or three months later,
The woodmen found him two or three months later,
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and you could see that he had bled to death. He had covered himself with leaves… It was a terrible tragedy.
and you could see that he had bled to death. He had covered himself with leaves… It was a terrible tragedy.