European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

"Sbafi "was the commander and "Mario" was the commissioner.

So I went to them and said: "Look, we are like brothers, you can't divide us".

And they said "Ok, no problem, where do you want to go?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as we are together".

So they put us thogether in the Cervi group and before evening they came and told us:

"Now you go up the the Cerreto-pass to block the street".

Ceasefire

As for the ceasefire, I remember

that there was this little wall in front of our house

next to the road where we always stopped for a chat.

I remember that as they announced these news around 5 p.m.,

the news that the war was over, my sister screamed at me:

"Hey, Francesco, they said on the radio that the war is over

but now there will be discussions with the Germans ..."

So I went upstairs because in our house I was the only one in possession of a radio,

so I went to listen. They said something

about the cease-fire with the Americans so the war-thing was expected to be over,

but it was starting right in that moment instead, especially for us.

Introduction and youth

My name is Francesco Bertacchini,