European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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and a comrade from Busana told me afterwards that he guided him and two other Germans who were already there
and a comrade from Busana told me afterwards that he guided him and two other Germans who were already there
che dopo mi ha raccontato uno di Busana che l’ha accompagnato lui insieme a altri due tedeschi che erano già lì... -
to Silano and through the front, to the Allies.
to Silano and through the front, to the Allies.
Li ha accompagnati a Silano e gli hanno fatto passare il fronte e sono andati con gli alleati, insomma ecco. -
For the whole time we did not speak. We stopped at a well to have a drink,
For the whole time we did not speak. We stopped at a well to have a drink,
Ma provato insomma, cosa vuoi, stavamo quasi sempre zitti. Ci siamo fermati lì ad una fontanella a bere -
we where just like two boys, he was than already like a lamb, disarmed.
we where just like two boys, he was than already like a lamb, disarmed.
ed eravamo come dei ragazzi, capisci? Lui ormai era come un agnello a questo punto, disarmato. -
Later, another partisan came with me, from Lingonchio on,
Later, another partisan came with me, from Lingonchio on,
Dopo venendo su a Ligonchio é venuto su anche un’altro armato con me -
a former Carabinieri who now is dead, Nello Coli, also from my village.
a former Carabinieri who now is dead, Nello Coli, also from my village.
che era un ex-Carabiniere, che adesso é morto, Nello Coli, qui del paese anche lui. -
Mining a bridge; Sabotaging flow of German troops
Mining a bridge; Sabotaging flow of German troops
Minare un ponte per ostacolare tedeschi -
We were receiving reports of troops coming back from the front, from Garfagnana,
We were receiving reports of troops coming back from the front, from Garfagnana,
Arrivavano delle segnalazioni che c’erano delle truppe che tornavano dal fronte, dalla Garfagnana -
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on the road going through Fivizzano and the Cerreto pass and towards Castelnovo Monti.
on the road going through Fivizzano and the Cerreto pass and towards Castelnovo Monti.
e facevano la strada di Fivizzano e il valico del Cerreto e venivano verso Castelnovo Monti, verso la pianura -
They were sending new troops to the front, by that time they had been there two or three months.
They were sending new troops to the front, by that time they had been there two or three months.
Mettevano truppe fresche al fronte insomma, ormai erano 2 o 3 mesi che erano lì. -
So we received this order to lay mines, but there weren’t any bridges left!
So we received this order to lay mines, but there weren’t any bridges left!
Allora arriva quest'ordine di minare, minare... che cosa vuoi minare, ormai dei ponti non ce n'erano più. -
There was only this small thing we used to call the “fognone” (big sewer).
There was only this small thing we used to call the “fognone” (big sewer).
C’era rimasta un affarino lì, che lo chiamavamo “il fognone” noi. -
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By that time we had a lot of TNT since they dropped it from the airplanes.
By that time we had a lot of TNT since they dropped it from the airplanes.
Allora avevamo tanto tritolo perché lo buttavano giù via aereo, e allora veniva giù molta roba. -
We walked up there. There was a wonderful moon this night, a very calm night, like in springtime.
We walked up there. There was a wonderful moon this night, a very calm night, like in springtime.
Andammo su. I tedeschi erano già un po' stanchi anche loro di guerra. Perché c'era una luna bellissima, una bella serata tranquilla quasi da primavera. -
They had a machine gun nest not too far away,
They had a machine gun nest not too far away,
Loro avevano una postazione di mitraglia non molto lontana, -
we put two groups there, one on each side of the bridge, in order to work untroubled.
we put two groups there, one on each side of the bridge, in order to work untroubled.
noi avevamo preso le misure e abbiamo messo due distaccamenti, uno di qua e uno di là, due squadre in maniera da potere lavorare tranquilli, -
And we did work untroubled, placing 45 kg of TNT, sort of like chewing gum you know?
And we did work untroubled, placing 45 kg of TNT, sort of like chewing gum you know?
e infatti abbiamo lavorato tranquilli, abbiamo messo 45 kg di tritolo plastico... era un po’ come la chewing-gum, no. -
After that we set the fuse and set it on fire.
After that we set the fuse and set it on fire.
Poi abbiamo messo tutta la miccia, e poi abbiam dato fuoco.