European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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Fascist propaganda was telling us the communists in Spain
Fascist propaganda was telling us the communists in Spain
Succedeva che la propaganda fascista diceva che i comunisti in Spagna hanno sventrato delle suore -
had raped and stabbed to death some nuns, so I really didn’t like communism much.
had raped and stabbed to death some nuns, so I really didn’t like communism much.
e violentate e tutte queste cose perciò quando si parlava del comunismo per me, non è che mi fossero stati simpatici, in poche parole. -
Then what happened?
Then what happened?
Poi che cosa è successo? -
It was 1943, the war was starting,
It was 1943, the war was starting,
Quando eravamo verso il 1943 che la guerra cominciava, -
people were talking about our retreats in Russia and in Northern Africa, the bombings, etc.
people were talking about our retreats in Russia and in Northern Africa, the bombings, etc.
si cominciava già a parlare con la ritirata dall’Unione Sovietica, con la ritirata in Nord Africa, i bombardamenti ecc. -
In spring 1943, strikes began at the Reggiane plant.
In spring 1943, strikes began at the Reggiane plant.
Poi si era praticamente nella primavera del ’43, che sono cominciati gli scioperi alle Reggiane, -
Not in my department or in the tooling department, where some of my friends were arrested.
Not in my department or in the tooling department, where some of my friends were arrested.
ma non nel mio reparto, nell’attrezzeria, che sono stati arrestati dei miei amici anche. -
From then on I started some soul-searching: what was I really doing?
From then on I started some soul-searching: what was I really doing?
Di lì ho cominciato a riflettere, proprio ho fatto un esame di coscienza: ma cosa ho fatto io? -
I was working day and night to boost production for the war,
I was working day and night to boost production for the war,
Sta lì a lavorare giorno e notte per aumentare la produzione per fare la guerra, -
while war killed people.
while war killed people.
e la guerra serve per uccidere la gente. -
I was shocked.
I was shocked.
Mi ero proprio… stato sconvolto. -
From that moment on I tried
From that moment on I tried
Dal quel momento ho cercato -
to get in contact with the antifascists, but it was impossible.
to get in contact with the antifascists, but it was impossible.
di prendere contatto con gli antifascisti… ma non c’era niente da fare. -
It was already the summer of ’43 when I went to Sassuolo to visit a friend.
It was already the summer of ’43 when I went to Sassuolo to visit a friend.
Tant’è vero che ero andato a Sassuolo che c’era un amico che era malato, che sapevo che era un antifascista, -
I knew him as an antifascist, hoping he could help me to become part of the movement.
I knew him as an antifascist, hoping he could help me to become part of the movement.
ma eravamo gia nell’estate del ’43, che pensavo che mi desse una mano per entrare nel movimento. -
He told me he couldn’t, since he was indeed an antifascist but he wasn’t organized.
He told me he couldn’t, since he was indeed an antifascist but he wasn’t organized.
Dice: “No, io sono un antifascista però non è che sia organizzato”. -
There was another comrade in my department
There was another comrade in my department
Poi c’era un altro compagno del mio reparto, -
who I was friend with, his name was Armando Grassi from Gattaglio.
who I was friend with, his name was Armando Grassi from Gattaglio.
un certo Grassi Armando di Gattaglio, che era abbastanza amico e ho detto: -
I told him I wanted to be involved and I finally convinced him.
I told him I wanted to be involved and I finally convinced him.
“Io voglio entrare nel… insomma, nel movimento”, così. E l’ho convinto. -
He put me in touch with a guy called Corradini,
He put me in touch with a guy called Corradini,
Mi ha messo in contatto con un certo Corradini.