A blog from World War 2 | Un Blog dalla Seconda Guerra Mondiale

February 3, 1945

Today I was shocked when I came home from the factory. We realized 4 suitcases were missing from the shelter where we keep them. One was stolen from a Dutch man, one from a French man, and two from another French man. Plus a coat was stolen from a French man, and a pair of new shoes was stolen from me. They opened my suitcase which contained two suits, two shirts, underwear, three towels, a pair of new shoes I’d paid dearly for and had only worn three/four times, luckily they were only tempted by the shoes and didn’t touch anything else. It seems like they have it in for me. First the theft at Hotel Kreutzbrau, one month later (April 25th) a fire destroyed everything I owned, then another fire on January 7th, and today my shoes got stolen. Luckily they only made off with my shoes, but the two French men and the Dutch man were left practically naked. Let’s hope nothing more than fires and thefts happen, I’d be content as long as this comes to and end and we can all return home and embrace our loved ones.

Sunday February 4, 1945

The 5 of us robbery victims agreed to go to the police tomorrow and report these criminals, these swindlers who live with us, but I honestly think it’s a waste of time. This isn’t the first robbery in this shelter, within the course of a year there have been four thefts which were even reported to the police but to no avail. Here the only thing the police do is arrest and lock up foreigners who are absent from work for two/three days, work which for us has no yield, it merely covers expenses… some expenses, we live like pigs. What profit have I made in 16 months of forced labor in this damned Germany? Let’s hope it’ll be over in a few days, rumor has it that Berlin has also been occupied, so this shouldn’t go on too much longer. What have I earned up till now? How much money did I send to my wife and children? None! And there are hundreds of thousands of millions of men in the same situation as me! What will our children live off of? Who will work for their wellbeing? These are the fruits of this damn war!
Tonight, Agostino and I went to another lager where Goffredo Maina, Pasquale Marrese, and Giovanni Augone live. Last Saturday I found out that Giovanni Augone is being repatriated because he was declared ill, so we immediately went to say goodbye to him, hoping that he will soon reach home through the Red Cross. We begged him to send our love to our families and tell them we are well. I gave him a note, asking him to hide it since he’s not allowed to take anything with him. I asked him to keep it safe and give it to my wife upon his arrival, thanking him profusely. If all goes well, he will leave for Italy in about ten days, and I hope that he will be home in about a month. That way my darling wife, even if she will not have the pleasure of seeing me return, will at least have the pleasure of reading a note written by me recently and will be assured that I’m in good health so she can pray to God for my imminent return!

February 5, 1945

This morning we robbery victims went to the factory. We asked our boss if we could go to the police to report the theft. At first he was hesitant, but then he let us go. We went to the police, told them what happened, they told us to go home and await their arrival. At 10:30, they still hadn’t come, so myself and the Dutch man went to an office to see if they had prepared the vouchers for our possessions that caught fire during the last bombing (January 7th). While there, the siren went off. Everyone started running like crazy, but we had no idea where to go, we were far from home and it was almost midday, the streets were full of snow and mud, we started wandering around in search of a bomb shelter, but there wasn’t one building intact, everything was demolished. We kept walking, the antiaircraft wasn’t even shooting so the aircrafts must’ve been far away. After over an hour we reach home, exhausted. Soon after, the antiaircraft starts shooting, we didn’t even go to a shelter; many other people stand there watching the aircrafts leisurely flying at a distance. Luckily they skipped Munich, but they were in the vicinity because the siren went off for three hours straight. It’s 4:00 and the police, the lovely police, have not shown up yet, we robbery victims are here waiting to show them the spot where the items were stolen and how they were stolen.

February 6, 1945

Today the police came, they took notes but I’m certain I will not see my shoes again.

February 8, 1945

Lots of Italians are being repatriated due to illness. It seems they are being rather lenient about repatriation. Before, being repatriated was like a miracle, it was very difficult, whereas now, every day men are repatriated to Italy, and I’d like to attempt it. This morning I went to the doctor saying my leg hurt, he didn’t give me any sick leave, but next week I will try again because my leg really does hurt! I want to see if I manage to obtain anything. It has not snowed since January 31st, all the snow that was in the streets has melted, it seems like spring has arrived. Last year, the bitter cold winter began in February and lasted all through March. I hope winter ends soon this year, since the cold weather began in November and lasted through the month of January. The weather has been mild for the past two weeks.

February 11, 1945

This morning, Manfrino Verrengia came by. He said he’s also trying to find a way back to Italy, and perhaps he’ll manage. Tomorrow I’ll go to the doctor again, I want to be sent back to Italy too. I can no longer bear being separated from my wife and children! I hope I can find a way back! Today, Manfrino and I took a walk through the city. We saw terrifying things. At a cemetery which skirts a road for about one kilometer, we saw some unbelievable things: gravestones, crucifixes, graves, large trees, all broken, all smashed, all in shambles, just the sight of it was frightening. This all happened during the last bombing on January 7th. Then we went to visit Silvio Grassini from Roccamonfina. I had visited him several times before and I knew the way there like the back of my hand. But when we reached the area I had to stop because I couldn’t tell if it was the right street or not. The last bombing had so drastically changed its appearance that I barely recognized it. I then managed to find the way through the rubble all the same.

February 12, 1945

I worked till midday then I asked to go to the doctor. I had him give me a certificate declaring I’m ill and with this I hope to take the first steps toward being repatriated, like many others have. Giovanni Augone has already left, I gave him a note for my wife and I hope he returns home soon so he can give my wife news of me. This week, Domenico Minchella and Manfrino Verrengia will also be leaving. I hope to be repatriated soon too, or else things will get ugly. I don’t want to work anymore, I can’t take it. I’ve had no news about my wife and my children for 17 months. This is too cruel, too agonizing!

February 15, 1945

As we were trying to sleep last night, the siren went off. We got dressed quickly and ran to the shelter. After an hour, it was over, we never even heard one shot. At 1:30, while we were deep in sleep, the siren went off again. We ran back to the shelter again. After 3-4 minutes we were already dressed and in the street, but despite our speed, the aircrafts were already above the city. We raced to the shelter because the last bombing truly frightened us. These aircrafts were merely passing over Munich, but they must have bombed nearby because the siren lasted an hour and a half.

February 16, 1945

Today I went to the doctor again in hopes of being repatriated. He gave me another certificate that I will use to be examined for repatriation. I asked my factory boss to issue a permit for me, but no luck. Despite the fact that I’ve explained the situation with my wife and children, he did not want to issue the permit. I went to the Italian Delegation but they also refused to give me the permit for my final medical visit. Despite this, I will not give up, I want to go home, this time I’ll stop at nothing, I’ll try everything and anything possible.

Saint Blaise February 22, 1945

Some friends told me that Manfrino Verrengia left for Italy. He didn’t even come to see me before leaving, but I’m not surprised since I knew him in Casale also. The siren went off again today also.


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