European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

At night I carried a big gun, which could have easily killed somebody.

If I was going in dangerous areas I’d carry a smaller gun, a Beretta six-something, as it was easy to hide.

As he saw the gun, Gianni told me: “Laila, what’s that for!”

I told him we should agree on a plan: “I’ll go ahead and come back.

If I don’t feel like walking back all the way I’ll whistle. That means the way is clear.

If by any chance I see an enemy unit and can’t make it back or alert you about the danger,

I don’t care if I have to shoot myself in the stomach, as I kept the gun around my waist.

They won’t see it the way I’m carrying it. At least I can warn you by firing a shot. That’s the only reason I’m carrying the gun”.

He asked me if I was crazy, and I replied I wasn’t: “Don’t you realize I’m responsible for three units?”

I’m telling you this to show how reliable we were in our duties, how responsible we felt.

I wasn’t the only one: all the women who were taking care of these duties were ready to face danger.

We went on working like this.

At a certain point there were around thirty of us. Then they split us into two groups.

One group took care of political campaigning with the population to gain support,

while we went on doing our usual tasks.

On the 25th of April I was at the brigade headquarters. I was told to get my unit ready to go back.

We had all been waiting impatiently for that moment.

I had been in the mountains for nine months, away from my family.

I had taught a woman who worked in a restaurant in Vetto the way to my house.

Once a week, when she went to Reggio to buy supplies, she’d bring me news about my family and give them mine.