European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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there were about ten partisans, i go in and ask:
there were about ten partisans, i go in and ask:
c’erano un po’ di partigiani una decina, entro e chiedo -
"How many partisans are you here?" "It's twelve of us".
"How many partisans are you here?" "It's twelve of us".
“Quanti siete nei partigiani?” “Siamo in 12” -
"But how many are you here?" "No, we're not doing surveillance at night".
"But how many are you here?" "No, we're not doing surveillance at night".
“Ma qua quanti siete?” “Ma noi di notte non facciamo la guardia”. -
So I let them stop playing and called the team leader and told him:
So I let them stop playing and called the team leader and told him:
Allora ho fatto sospendere di suonare poi ho chiamato il caposquadra e gli ho detto -
"Now you'll deal with me" and let him do the guard shift and in the morning I left
"Now you'll deal with me" and let him do the guard shift and in the morning I left
“Adesso ti sistemo io!” e poi gli ho fatto fare la guardia e al mattino sono andato via -
with the Russians that were there.
with the Russians that were there.
io con i russi che erano lì, un battaglione di russi -
We went uphill, high up, and after a while the Germans came and took them.
We went uphill, high up, and after a while the Germans came and took them.
che siamo andati su in alto in alto, e dopo un po’ sono venuti i tedeschi e li hanno presi. -
They killed one, one from Reggio,
They killed one, one from Reggio,
Ne hanno ammazzato uno, reggiano, -
whose name was given to the street that leads to the cemetery of Reggio Emilia.
whose name was given to the street that leads to the cemetery of Reggio Emilia.
a cui è intestata la via per andare al cimitero lì a Reggio: -
They found him in bed, sleeping because no-one was doing surveillance, for God's sake!
They found him in bed, sleeping because no-one was doing surveillance, for God's sake!
hanno trovato anche lui, un reggiano, lo hanno trovato a letto che dormiva perché nessuno faceva la guardia ma la guardia si fa, per la madonna! -
When I led my battalion it was eight to ten of us
When I led my battalion it was eight to ten of us
Quando avevo il comando del battaglione eravamo in otto-dieci, -
and everyone had to do surveillance, in groups of two. I did my shift alone,
and everyone had to do surveillance, in groups of two. I did my shift alone,
facevano la guardia tutti gli altri a due a due io la facevo da solo -
three hours there in a hiding place, in the shadows, with eyes wide open.
three hours there in a hiding place, in the shadows, with eyes wide open.
ma tre ore in un’ombra, un cantuccio lì, con gli occhi aperti così. -
If you don't keep your eyes open during the surveillance shift you're in big trouble.
If you don't keep your eyes open during the surveillance shift you're in big trouble.
Mi capisci perché dormite bene ma se tu non fai la guardia sei fritto! -
The colour of the unit
The colour of the unit
Colore del distaccamento -
Our unit was red, all communist, because we had some true communists.
Our unit was red, all communist, because we had some true communists.
Il nostro distaccamento era tutto rosso, tutto comunista perché avevamo gli esperti comunisti: -
The 144th Brigade was called “Antonio Gramsci”
The 144th Brigade was called “Antonio Gramsci”
la 144 Brigata si chiamava “Antonio Gramsci”, -
and the commander was "Sintoni", one that had fought in the Spanish civil war, Pattacini,
and the commander was "Sintoni", one that had fought in the Spanish civil war, Pattacini,
il comandante era "Sintoni" che aveva fatto la guerra di Spagna, Pattacini, -
the commissioner was Antonio Raisi, who'd fought in Spain, too, so all people that were political experts.
the commissioner was Antonio Raisi, who'd fought in Spain, too, so all people that were political experts.
il commissario era Raisi Antonio che aveva fatto la guerra di Spagna anche lui, insomma tutta della gente che erano dei maestri politici -
That was our line.
That was our line.
e noi si seguiva proprio così