European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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managed to convince all the others not to sign. We were 550 in my camp.
managed to convince all the others not to sign. We were 550 in my camp.
nel mio campo c’erano in 550, siamo riusciti a non far firmare nessuno, -
They would tell us: “We’ll send you back home to Italy
They would tell us: “We’ll send you back home to Italy
perché mentre loro dicevano “vi mandiamo in Italia -
and there the Monte Rosa division is waiting for you”.
and there the Monte Rosa division is waiting for you”.
e poi lì c’è la Monte Rosa che vi aspetta”, -
We could only imagine what the Monte Rosa was,
We could only imagine what the Monte Rosa was,
noi la Monte Rosa immaginavamo ma non sapevamo che cos’era, -
but this is what we would tell them:
but this is what we would tell them:
sai cosa gli dicevamo noi? -
“Let’s not sign anything. On the Russian front we’re too weak, we’re outnumbered, and that’s exactly where we’ll end up!”.
“Let’s not sign anything. On the Russian front we’re too weak, we’re outnumbered, and that’s exactly where we’ll end up!”.
“Non firmiamo ragazzi perché sul fronte russo ci mancano le forze, mancano i soldati, loro ci mandano sul fronte russo!”. -
So nobody signed.
So nobody signed.
Non ha firmato nessuno, -
The “Lagerfuhrer”, the boss of all bosses,
The “Lagerfuhrer”, the boss of all bosses,
senonchè il capo dei capi „Lagerführer“ -
was so furious one day that we were sanctioned to
was so furious one day that we were sanctioned to
che comandava il campo gli è venuta una rabbia una volta, -
– I will tell you this in German –
– I will tell you this in German –
te lo dico in tedesco -
“Diese Leute morgen früh kein Brot”: no bread for three days.
“Diese Leute morgen früh kein Brot”: no bread for three days.
“Diese Leute morgen früh kein Brot”, tre giorni senza pane, non ce l’hanno mica dato per tre giorni. -
The cold and the work
The cold and the work
Freddo e lavoro -
When we arrived there, the French asked us:
When we arrived there, the French asked us:
I francesi quando noi siamo arrivati là, perché noi siamo dei furbacchioni -
“Since you come from the outside, what do people say? How long will the war last?”.
“Since you come from the outside, what do people say? How long will the war last?”.
ci hanno chiesto “voi che venite da fuori, cosa si dice, -
We always thought we knew everything, and we told them it would only last one or two more months,
We always thought we knew everything, and we told them it would only last one or two more months,
la guerra quanto durerà?” - “un mese o due mesi” gli rispondevamo, -
but they replied it would go on for another two years. They were right, the war went on for two more years.
but they replied it would go on for another two years. They were right, the war went on for two more years.
loro hanno detto “durerà ancora due anni” e ci hanno preso loro, due anni è durata. -
There were women who had to work on the railroad with shovels and pickaxes.
There were women who had to work on the railroad with shovels and pickaxes.
Una donna, magari anche incinta, a lavorare con pale e picconi sulla ferrovia, -
Sometimes they were even pregnant, and trust me, that’s hard work.
Sometimes they were even pregnant, and trust me, that’s hard work.
guarda che sono lavori pesanti quelli lì. -
They didn’t do a headcount at night,
They didn’t do a headcount at night,
Là non è che controllassero se ne erano morti dieci, -
to see who was back and who wasn’t, they didn’t care if ten of us had died during the day.
to see who was back and who wasn’t, they didn’t care if ten of us had died during the day.
non è che alla sera facessero l’appello per vedere chi c’era e chi no, a loro non interessava,