European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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We found the bell-ringer and asked him how we could climb up.
We found the bell-ringer and asked him how we could climb up.
abbiamo trovato il campanaro, quello che suonava le campane, e gli dico come si fa ad andare su lì, -
He showed us the way and told us to proceed slowly.
He showed us the way and told us to proceed slowly.
“A beh vai su di lì. Sali piano piano”. Va beh. -
As we got on the roof there were three men of the Black Brigade with a 37 mm Breda machine gun.
As we got on the roof there were three men of the Black Brigade with a 37 mm Breda machine gun.
Infatti siamo arrivati sul tetto che c’erano piazzati tre della brigata nera con la mitraglia 37 Breda, non avevano mica... -
I told them not to move and raise their hands.
I told them not to move and raise their hands.
e io lì ho gridato: “Fermi tutti mani in alto!”, -
They obeyed as they saw the machine gun pointed at them.
They obeyed as they saw the machine gun pointed at them.
e infatti si sono alzati e quando hanno visto il mitra puntato hanno alzato le mani e: -
They told us not to kill them. They’d show us where the others were. “Alright”, we said, “where are they?”
They told us not to kill them. They’d show us where the others were. “Alright”, we said, “where are they?”
“No non sparate non ammazzateci, vi indichiamo dove sono gli altri”. “Va bene dove sono gli altri?”. “Venite con noi ve lo indichiamo”. -
They told us there was a platoon of around thirty of them hiding in the subterranean vaults of “La Luna”, a spot near Porta Castello.
They told us there was a platoon of around thirty of them hiding in the subterranean vaults of “La Luna”, a spot near Porta Castello.
Erano nascosti lì dalla Luna a Porta Castello nel sotterraneo e c’era un plotone lo chiamavano loro, erano poi una trentina. -
As we got back down, however, there was a surprise.
As we got back down, however, there was a surprise.
Ma poi quando siamo arrivati giù c’è stata la sorpresa, -
A jeep with a big white star printed on the hood was parked by the church. I asked what was going on.
A jeep with a big white star printed on the hood was parked by the church. I asked what was going on.
davanti ai gradini della Madonna della Ghiara c’era una jeep ferma con davanti sul cofano una stella bianca grande come il cofano. Dico bah cosa c’è? -
The driver got out of the jeep
The driver got out of the jeep
Scende giù uno, l’autista -
and told me that the commander wanted to know who those three men with their hands up were.
and told me that the commander wanted to know who those three men with their hands up were.
che dice il comandante vuole sapere chi sono questi tre qua che avete preso con le mani alzate. -
I told them that they were the ones who were shooting from the roof.
I told them that they were the ones who were shooting from the roof.
Dico sono i tiratori che sparavano con la mitraglia sul tetto. -
The major didn’t speak Italian, so the driver had to translate for him.
The major didn’t speak Italian, so the driver had to translate for him.
Allora siccome il maggiore era un maggiore ufficiale non era, non parlava in italiano si faceva tradurre dall’autista che parlava un po’ di italiano. -
He got out of the car too, pointed the Thompson gun
He got out of the car too, pointed the Thompson gun
Lui è sceso si è tirato via il Thompson che aveva a tracolla, -
and fired a spray of bullets.
and fired a spray of bullets.
i tre ... una raffica di mitra e me li ha messi tutti -
I had to take a piece of liver off my jacket afterwards, because he had shot them at point-blank range.
I had to take a piece of liver off my jacket afterwards, because he had shot them at point-blank range.
che io ho dovuto togliermi un pezzo di fegato dalla giubba perché aveva sparato a bruciapelo, e dopo dico -
I asked him why he killed them, since they had surrendered and were our prisoners.
I asked him why he killed them, since they had surrendered and were our prisoners.
"beh si sono arresi, sono prigionieri, perché ha fatto questa cosa qua?" -
But the driver called me over and showed me there were three holes in their jeep.
But the driver called me over and showed me there were three holes in their jeep.
Dopo l’autista mi ha chiamato a veder la jeep che c’erano tre buchi. -
We were free, but there were too many things we had to sort out and too many had died.
We were free, but there were too many things we had to sort out and too many had died.
Libero e preoccupato che c’erano tante cose da mettere a posto e qualcuno mancava. -
It wasn’t a happy day. Fiorello died right next to me. We had been friends since we were kids.
It wasn’t a happy day. Fiorello died right next to me. We had been friends since we were kids.
Non era una giornata di allegria. Fiorello per me, mi è morto al fianco ma eravamo amici anche amici di gioventù diciamo.