European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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Then the man asked us where we had slept, and we told him we slept in the train station.
Then the man asked us where we had slept, and we told him we slept in the train station.
allora lui ha detto: “Brr, dove hai dormito?”, “Beh, in stazione”, -
“But the station is closed at night”, he said. “I guess we’ll sleep in a shelter then”, we replied.
“But the station is closed at night”, he said. “I guess we’ll sleep in a shelter then”, we replied.
“Ma la stazione la chiudono”, “Beh dormiremo in rifugio”, “Non ci sono i rifugi a Como -
“There are no shelters in Como, it’s a free city and we don’t get bombed”. What could we say?
“There are no shelters in Como, it’s a free city and we don’t get bombed”. What could we say?
perché è una città libera che non ci bombardano”. E vabbé chissà cosa avremmo pensato, -
We wouldn’t have said anything else, but at that point he told us to go with him
We wouldn’t have said anything else, but at that point he told us to go with him
non avremo detto niente noi poi perché che cosa dovevamo dire? Allora lui ha detto niente, poi ha detto: “Venite con me”. -
and bought us the ticket for the ferry that would have taken us all the way to the other side of the lake from Como, to Pizzo di Trona.
and bought us the ticket for the ferry that would have taken us all the way to the other side of the lake from Como, to Pizzo di Trona.
Poi ci ha fatto il biglietto per il traghetto... E’ stata una persona, guardi un angelo proprio, che ci ha fatto tutto l’itinerario per andare proprio dall’altra parte da Como proprio in fondo a Pizzo di Trona, -
He was truly an angel.
He was truly an angel.
proprio proprio ai confini non so neanche dove finiva il lago secondo me. -
Then he took us in front of a nice gate and rang the bell.
Then he took us in front of a nice gate and rang the bell.
Allora lui ci ha portato vicino ad un bel cancello, ha suonato, -
He told the nun who came out that they should offer us a place to sleep, since we were there to visit out brothers who were in the army.
He told the nun who came out that they should offer us a place to sleep, since we were there to visit out brothers who were in the army.
è venuta una suora ci ha detto: “Dovete dare ospitalità a queste due ragazze, vanno a trovare i loro fratelli militari”, e loro poverette ci hanno dato da dormire. -
They were really nice, they gave us a place to sleep and got us on the ferry at eight.
They were really nice, they gave us a place to sleep and got us on the ferry at eight.
E poi dice: “Loro domani mattina devono essere alle otto là al battello così”, e infatti loro sono state carinissime, ci hanno fatto prendere il battello la mattina alle otto. -
We only made it to our destination at noon, as the ferry was quite slow and stopped in all those small villages.
We only made it to our destination at noon, as the ferry was quite slow and stopped in all those small villages.
Siamo arrivate a mezzogiorno al paese là, che il battello andava piano magari ma per tutti questi paesini... -
When we got there the soldiers were coming back from a mop-up.
When we got there the soldiers were coming back from a mop-up.
Siamo arrivate a mezzogiorno e tornavano proprio da un rastrellamento i militari, -
What do you call them, fascists? Or should I say “repubblichini” (supporters of the Republic of Salò), as we called them then?
What do you call them, fascists? Or should I say “repubblichini” (supporters of the Republic of Salò), as we called them then?
erano i fascisti non so neanche, erano repubblichini? Come si chiamavano repubblichini allora. -
Anyway, they were all there apart from my brother.
Anyway, they were all there apart from my brother.
Quando siamo state là c’erano tutti e non c’era mio fratello. -
I was desperate, I immediately thought he had been killed in the mountains.
I was desperate, I immediately thought he had been killed in the mountains.
Io ero disperata. Dicevo: “Ma dov’è mio fratello?”, io nella mia testa pensavo già che lo avessero ammazzato in montagna, -
But it wasn’t true, he simply didn’t take part in the mop-ups.
But it wasn’t true, he simply didn’t take part in the mop-ups.
invece e invece no. Mio fratello non andava ai rastrellamenti, -
He worked as a shoemaker or as a warehouseman, any type of job,
He worked as a shoemaker or as a warehouseman, any type of job,
lui faceva il calzolaio o il magazziniere, faceva qualcosa pur di non andare -
whatever he could find so as not to go out on missions with the other soldiers.
whatever he could find so as not to go out on missions with the other soldiers.
fuori con i militari. Lui faceva tutto di lavoro. -
I finally found him and he was doing fine. Then I told him that they had to come back home, otherwise the partisans would kill them.
I finally found him and he was doing fine. Then I told him that they had to come back home, otherwise the partisans would kill them.
Niente, allora l’ho trovato e stava bene allora gli dicevo: “Guarda che dovete venire a casa, ci sono i partigiani poi vi ammazzano. -
Either they would be killed here or back home, because afterwards they would be considered responsible of terrible deeds.
Either they would be killed here or back home, because afterwards they would be considered responsible of terrible deeds.
O vi ammazzano qui o vi ammazzano là, perché dopo vi considerano della gente che avete fatto del male insomma dovete venire a casa”. -
They were really scared, I guess they were brainwashed in order for them to be cruel, to imprison or kill people.
They were really scared, I guess they were brainwashed in order for them to be cruel, to imprison or kill people.
Allora erano talmente impauriti, si vede che gli dovevano fare il lavaggio del cervello perché dovevano fare i cattivi, dovevano prendere magari prendere della gente, non so, ammazzare della gente,