At 10:30 the siren went off, it stopped after 20 minutes. We survived this time too, I pray the good Lord will keep me safe from all harm. Not for me or my life, because by now I am sick of living like this, but for my wife and my kids. What would happen to them if I didn’t return? Would my darling Carmosina, who never worked, be forced to go to work? And even if she did work, would she be able to fill in for me? No! God wouldn’t allow this, He will allow me to return to my family so I can make them happy! They wait for me each day, crying out for me.

Today, all the Italians who were living at Fasanerie-Nord and who work at Rockinger factory, where I myself also work, were forced to come live in Munich in a school near where I live. This change of residence was the result of the intense bombing occurring in Munich. The bombs almost always hit the railway, so these workers who live outside of the city cannot come to work or they arrive very late because there is no transportation available. And since the factory boss is frantic to make us work as much as possible, especially recently, he decided to relocate his workers to the city. Among the Italians relocated: Agostino LaTorre and Ciccillo D’Angelo. There are many men from Ventaroli who were torn from their families like we were. Even Carmine Montano’s son is here, along with Manfrino Verrengia and Giovanni Iannotta from Casale. There are also several Russians, men and women, and French too, many different nationalities.
There have been a few sunny days this October, but I still can’t stand it! As I said, I get up in the morning at 5:30 so I can be at work at 6:30 on the dot! During the day we’re locked inside like inmates, and when we leave at night it’s already dark and when we go there in the morning it’s dark! So we cannot even see these lovely, rare days of October sunshine. I vividly recall the walks I used to take through the countryside, I vividly recall picking figs with my dear little Antonio. Those were such beautiful days! Will I ever see them again?!

The siren went off at 11:30, at 11:40 they made us go back to work before the siren had stopped. As I said: “Our factory boss is frantic to make us work as much as possible”. This must come to an end sooner or later, I hope sooner. Greece has been liberated and the capital has been occupied. When will they come? This world is so cruel! I never imagined I would have to suffer so much. I’m not suffering for myself, because if I were alone in this world, if it were for my own life, it wouldn’t be that bad living in this big, beautiful Germany! I would only miss my freedom and our beautiful weather. But when I think about my wife and my two dear kids, I always saw to it that they had the first and best fruits, and all the necessities, they never lacked a thing, and now I wonder if they still eat those lovely fruits and if they have enough food. When I think about this, I can’t help but cry. I would be so happy to embrace them again. I can picture my little Marina, who’s growing up, running around with her dear brother. The two of them await their dear father’s return from this wretched Germany. Together with their mother they pray each night that the good Lord will allow their father and husband to return as soon as possible. As I write this, I can’t hold back the tears. I hope and pray that I’ll return as soon as possible and find them safe and sound, my darling wife and our dear children, so I can make them forget the suffering which they undoubtedly endured while I was gone.

While we are working, the siren goes off so we leave. In our sector, the machines are so loud it’s hard to hear the siren. We go to the shelter at 11:45 and come back out at 1:30, when the siren has stopped. After 10 minutes the siren goes off again and ends at 2:00. Yet again, they didn’t attack Munich. Yesterday I went to the station to see if wounded and sick Italians were being sent back to Italy. I found a Neapolitan man, he told me he planned on going directly to Naples. I gave him a letter and begged him to send it to the address I’d written on it. He assured me that if he managed to reach Naples, he would go in person to my home to deliver my letter. This isn’t the first time I’ve sent a letter with Italian soldiers, I’ve done it many times before, and I hope some of them reached my family. I even wrote to my cousins in Rome, my brother in Terni, my brother-in-law in Pianosa, begging them all to let my darling wife know how I was doing when they had the chance. So I suppose she has often received word about me. I even sent six letters through the Red Cross, I hope one day to be surprised by a letter from her.

This morning, after 30 minutes of work, I hurt my left hand. It was nothing serious but for me it was because I hope to get 20 days off of work. I am fed up with this miserable existence. 13 months away from my loved ones in a wretched land where all that exists is work and slavery! When will this suffering end?

The siren went off again today. After a few hours it stopped but then went off again. It went on and off all day.

At 11:00 the siren stopped and at 12:30 bombs were dropped on Munich, but not many.

Yet again, we heard the siren on and off continuously today along with the artillery nearby, I hope the end of this damned war is near. I’m on sick leave right now, I don’t have to wake up early anymore. But what good is it? I’m still far from my loved ones, I’m still aching to hear from them.

At 11:00 the siren went off and ended at 12:30. It went off again at 1:00 and ended at 1:30.

At 11:30 the siren went off and ended at 1:00. At 1:45 it went off again and ended at 2:00.