Pictures from behind enemy lines - Gela

Partisans of the Tollot brigade relaxing on the Col Visentin, spring 1944. The photo confirms, beyond any doubt, that the brigade was not “instituted” as Captain Brietsche reports during the winter of 1944, as it had been in existence for a while.

Partisans belonging to the Ciro Menotti brigade march in the snow on the Cansiglio plateau, winter 1944-1945. According to Brietsche, this brigade played a pivotal role in repelling the German attacks in the Cansiglio, during February-March 1945.

Some partisans of the Fratelli Bandiera brigade posing for a group photo, April 1945. In the middle, with the beard, their leader, “Rolando” (Nino de Marchi). Many are armed with Sten machine-guns, an iconic weapon of the European Resistance, provided by the British as airdropped supplies to the partisans. This picture, unfortunately, is missing the mortar captured by the brigade on the Alpago.

In Conegliano, during the Liberation, this picture shows (from left to right), “Milo” the commander of the Nannetti division, British General Dunlop (the regional commissioner), and finally “Pagnoca”, of the Vittorio Veneto brigade group. Brietsche refused to replace Milo with Pagnoca and threatened to leave the mission altogether if this was to happen.

The rejoicing partisans of the Nannetti division parade the streets of Vittorio Veneto. On the front, the division commander, “Milo”, Francesco Pesce, not even thirty years old at the time. Milo had been captured in April 1944 and imprisoned in the Belluno jail. However, he was freed by some garibaldini in June of that year, together with seventy political prisoners.

After the liberation he was removed and then permanently discharged, as he was a member of the Italian Communist Party (PCI).

Picture source: Brunetta, Ernesto. 1943-1945 Veneto e Resistenza [S. l.] ANPI, 2016, p. 262-263; 275-276.