European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

He understood that I wanted to enlist.

We went to the river Enza where he had an appointment with many other guys.

My task was to bring a bag of 5 kilos of salt from Montecchio to Canossa.

I fixed it well and got on my way, but as I arrived in Canossa they stopped us.

"STOP! PASSWORD!" The password was "Torino. Avanti Toro!"

So we went to a something of a barn to sleep

and eat because we still had not had breakfast.

They gave us a nice big cup of milk with bread.

I was with my brother in the Stalin unit.

I wasn't called Bonifacio VIII in memory of Matile of Canossa,

but i called myself Horace.

In those days I only had Horatii and Curiatii on my mind.

And in fact in my mortal fight with the Germans (being mortal for them, not for me),

i called myself “Horace” because the Germans,

these gasoline-coloured men,

they had eyes of that colour

they seemed to be big warriors.

Introduction and family

My name is Ulisse Gilioli, I was born on May 26th, 1921

a in Montecavolo near Quattro Castella (in the province of Reggio Emilia).