European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

So I was sentenced to do one day of "stake".

They cleaned a plant where we were staying

because even there we had to be very careful, make no noise,

because we could see the street but they could also hear someone speaking there.

Well, i passed all day tied to the stake

and at night everybody was making fun of me.

Everybody was laughing because falling asleep in such a dangerous place was really something ...

I remembered this episode well and the next times

when we had to decide what to do I didn't accept to do it

when I didn't feel comfortable with, I didn't want to make a fool of myself once more.

Because when you were on sentinel or on patrol

you were supposed to do what had to be done

and guarantee safety to the detachment.

Crossing the river Enza

Two days before crossing the Enza river

the commander of the battalion, called "Cicci", came to us and said:

"Guys, we thought it was the usual action of the Germans and the Fascists

but this time it's a roundup, a sweep on a large scale

that goes from Ciano to Casina, to Castelnovo Monti, all the way up to Vetto.

The whole area is being closed up and they're trying to get us by encircling us".