Interview with Leonardo Gravina
Leonardo Gravina describes his early life in the rural district of the Puglia region, near the towns of Foggia and S. Giovanni Rotondo. Remembers seeing formations of aircraft taking off and landing from an airfield nearby. Speaks with affection of an American pilot who gave him a flying helmet as a token of friendship. Mentions Padre Pio (then Saint Pio of Pietrelcina) and his gift of reading souls. Stresses how wartime life was comfortable, owing to high prices commanded by grain and the overall abundance of farm products. Recollects the strict discipline of German soldiers, mentions the 1943 Foggia bombings, and describes briefly the invasion of Sicily and the subsequent fall of the fascist regime. Emphasises the social transformations after war, when farming was no longer profitable, and mentions episodes of his later career in the manufacturing industry. Discusses the morality of strategic bombing, holding up Dresden as an unparalleled example. Mentions the different strategic approaches of Allied air forces and justifies them in terms of dissimilar national characters. Comments on the figure of Arthur Harris.
<a href="/omeka/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Francesca+Campani">Francesca Campani</a>
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2017-07-12
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01:06:48 audio recording
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AGravinaL170824
PGravinaL1701
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Interview with Marisa Bianchi
World War (1939-1945)
Bombing, Aerial
Marisa Bianchi remembers her wartime years at Sesso, a rural hamlet in the Reggio Emilia province. Stresses the abundance of locally farmed food and emphasises how billeted German troops were friendly and supportive, even if she and her family had to work for them. Recalls "Pippo" coming over every day at the same time. Curses it for the fear it caused and describes two episodes connected with its menacing presence: being machine-gunned while working and the sight of her house under attack, an incident in which a relative died as the consequence of emotional shock. Explains her revulsion of Fascists, feared for their brutality and recollects the killing of her cousin on the last day of war. Describes wartime episodes: Fascists executing four partisans and torturing suspects; Germans shooting people on the Crostolo bank; a young worker being shot by mistake for carrying a bundle mistaken for a bomb. Recalls providing accommodation to evacuees from Reggio Emilia and the widespread enthusiasm at the end of the war.
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2017-09-12
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00:33:09 audio recording
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ABianchiM170912
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Interview with Delia Del Corto
World War (1939-1945)
Bombing, Aerial
Delia del Corto (b. 1932) remembers daily life in wartime Tuscany, living in a family of ten. Provides details on rural life, especially home bread making, and stresses the difficult coexistence with feared German troops. Mentions many anecdotes in the context of the Italian civil war: actions of the resistance, locals being strafed, round-ups, and the killing of 32 civilians as reprisal for the death of a German officer. Recollects the day she found herself under aircraft fire while she took sheep to pastures with her little brother. Describes the construction of a makeshift dug out in a field in which her father hid and recollects how she got caught in crossfire.
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2017-09-26
<a href="/omeka/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=37&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Peter+Schulze">Peter Schulze</a>
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
01:09:27 audio recording
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ADelCortoD170926
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