European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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It’s truly a great memory.
It’s truly a great memory.
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Allied airdrop with food and weapon supplies
Allied airdrop with food and weapon supplies
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An American colonel had crashed with his airplane and had to stay in Ligonchio for a while.
An American colonel had crashed with his airplane and had to stay in Ligonchio for a while.
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There was little to eat, and he was fed even less than the others.
There was little to eat, and he was fed even less than the others.
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So he told our captain: “If I manage to get to Florence I’ll organize an air-drop and drop you a lot of good food”.
So he told our captain: “If I manage to get to Florence I’ll organize an air-drop and drop you a lot of good food”.
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He kept his word.
He kept his word.
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He crossed the front lines and got to Florence.
He crossed the front lines and got to Florence.
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There was communication from Ligonchio then, from Lama Golese to Florence; there were English officers with radios,
There was communication from Ligonchio then, from Lama Golese to Florence; there were English officers with radios,
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it was just like talking with a telephone today.
it was just like talking with a telephone today.
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So he did this air-drop, on a Sunday morning, there were airplanes all over
So he did this air-drop, on a Sunday morning, there were airplanes all over
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and they dropped all sorts of things, even gasoline tanks looking like missiles.
and they dropped all sorts of things, even gasoline tanks looking like missiles.
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They even dropped two small Lambrettas,
They even dropped two small Lambrettas,
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a light gun, a whole lot of stuff, things to eat.
a light gun, a whole lot of stuff, things to eat.
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Quite a few parachutes fell on the other side of the river and were taken by the Germans.
Quite a few parachutes fell on the other side of the river and were taken by the Germans.
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Later the Germans tried to go take some on our side too,
Later the Germans tried to go take some on our side too,
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and that’s when a partisan died, poor man, his name was Nello Vergai, he was a sailor from Caprile.
and that’s when a partisan died, poor man, his name was Nello Vergai, he was a sailor from Caprile.
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He was shot and he took cover wounded,
He was shot and he took cover wounded,
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but he hid so well that we didn’t find him.
but he hid so well that we didn’t find him.
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The woodmen found him two or three months later,
The woodmen found him two or three months later,
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and you could see that he had bled to death. He had covered himself with leaves… It was a terrible tragedy.
and you could see that he had bled to death. He had covered himself with leaves… It was a terrible tragedy.