European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
-
They didn’t even know where I was from.
They didn’t even know where I was from.
E loro non sapevano neanche da dove venivo. -
They thought I was coming from the mountains near Bologna.
They thought I was coming from the mountains near Bologna.
Perché credevano che venissi dalle montagne bolognesi; -
Only after the war did they find out that I came from Reggio.
Only after the war did they find out that I came from Reggio.
dopo la guerra hanno imparato che ero una reggiana. -
Military actions
Military actions
Azione militare (Medaglia d’Argento) -
We had drawn together most of our forces in the lowlands around Reggio, around Limiti, Soliera, Carpi.
We had drawn together most of our forces in the lowlands around Reggio, around Limiti, Soliera, Carpi.
Nella bassa reggiana noi avevamo tra Limidi, Soliera, Carpi... insomma tutta quella zona lì, noi avevamo un po’ ammassato tutte nostre forze, molte delle nostre forze. -
All the houses were with us.
All the houses were with us.
Perché lì tutte le case erano con noi. -
There was actually a time when that area was called “free zone”, because nobody could get in.
There was actually a time when that area was called “free zone”, because nobody could get in.
Tutti i posti erano... Avevamo avuto anche un periodo che la chiamavo una zona libera, cioè che non c’entrava nessuno. -
However
However
Però c’è stato -
the Nazi fascists had also been looking at that area, just like us.
the Nazi fascists had also been looking at that area, just like us.
tra i nazifascisti, si vede che avevano... per quella zona lì c’avevano ragionato su anche loro, non solo noi... -
At a certain point they decided to do a mop-up to free the area.
At a certain point they decided to do a mop-up to free the area.
Allora a un certo punto hanno deciso di fare un rastrellamento per liberare la zona. -
They were going to do it with such forces, machine guns and heavy ammunition.
They were going to do it with such forces, machine guns and heavy ammunition.
Ma un rastrellamento con delle forze, con delle mitragliatrici, con delle forze pesanti, delle armi pesanti -
They would have more or less destroyed our whole organization.
They would have more or less destroyed our whole organization.
per liberare questa zona che avrebbero distrutto un po’ tutta la nostra organizzazione diciamo. -
We met at the headquarters and decided we had to leave.
We met at the headquarters and decided we had to leave.
Allora ci siamo riuniti al comando: “Qui c’è da andare”, -
As usual it was the dispatch-rider who had to face this battle,
As usual it was the dispatch-rider who had to face this battle,
c’è la solita storia della staffetta che deve partire e deve affrontare questo combattimento – perché era un vero combattimento quello lì, di forze – -
in order to go and inform all our comrades, otherwise they would have been slaughtered.
in order to go and inform all our comrades, otherwise they would have been slaughtered.
e andare a avvisare tutti i nostri, perché se no li massacrano se non sono pronti a affrontare questo rastrellamento. -
If they couldn’t be ready in time, they could at least withdraw before they all got killed.
If they couldn’t be ready in time, they could at least withdraw before they all got killed.
E se non sono pronti per affrontare vuole dire che si ritirano in tempo prima di essere tutti massacrati. -
At a certain point I declared I would go.
At a certain point I declared I would go.
Un bel momento dico: “Allora ci vado io”. -
I already knew the area. I had gone there often.
I already knew the area. I had gone there often.
Della zona ero già pratica perché là ci andavo spesso. -
We had many families of peasants there, wonderful families.
We had many families of peasants there, wonderful families.
Avevamo tutte delle famiglie di contadini, che erano delle famiglie meravigliose, -
I said: “I’m going, give me the gun and I’ll head over there”.
I said: “I’m going, give me the gun and I’ll head over there”.
e dico: “Parto, datemi la rivoltella e vado”.