Majella Brigade

GUSTAV LINE (Guardiagrele)

Guardiagrele saw the German occupation in October 1943. The

population was forced to flee and take refuge outside the city,

while the town suffered violent Allied bombing that lasted until

the liberation day, whose damage is still visible in some streets.

Until 1943 Guardiagrele was among the 20 places of internment in

the Chieti province for foreign Jews and opponents of fascism.

In early December 1943, the Germans, after losing the Battle of

Sangro, decided to block the Allied advance on

Guardiagrele, Orsogna and Ortona.

During the battle many Guardiesi escaped into the tunnel of

the district plan, using as an air-raid shelter.

The tunnel started from the entrance located behind the walls and

continued for about 50 meters just below the ancient cistern of the

water tower.

At about 14:30 a plane dropped a bomb just above the iron door of

the tunnel, causing a massacre. Guardiagrele was released on June 9,

1944 thanks to the contribution of the local patriots of the Majella Brigade.

A monument in the place of the municipal gardens in

Largo Majella Brigade, which is dedicated to the Abruzzo patriots.

SHORT STORY

The Patriotic Maiella Group, initially called "Banda Patriots of the Maiella",

taking the name from the mountain Majella and commonly called

"Maiella Brigade" wasfounded in Casoli (CH), in December 1943, a

Continuation of employment 'Abruzzo by the German Army'.

The founder was Ettore Troilo, socialist and anti-fascist, who fled from

Rome to his native Torricella.

Afterwards he had to evacuate in Casoli, recently liberated by the Allies.

Troilo was proposed, along with a group of young people living in the

countries of the Valley Aventine, to collaborate with the allied army for

the liberation of the countries that the Germans were destroying,

as these areas were located in front of the Gustav line.

The Maiella Brigade gathered several bands of partisans who had begun

to operate in the Aventino Valley and in the Middle Sangro, just after

the 25th of July 1943.

The men of the Maiella Brigade, in fact, freed their land and continued with

the participation of over a thousand young people from Sulmona,

Pratola, Prezza, Popoli, Corfinio and the other towns of the Peligna's

Valley. They even put their lives at the disposal of the Fatherland, with

self-denial and sacrifice, where many would have given up.

They continued to fight together with the Second Polish Army going

up Italy until Asiago releasing numerous centers of Marche, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto.

They entered, along with the Poles, in the city of Bologna releasing on

the morning of 21st April 1945.

Upon dissolution of the Brigade, which took place in Brisighella on July 31st,

1945, after the complete liberation of Italy, 110 young people were

counted Pratolani, in addition to the rest of the participants who had

served in its ranks. Unfortunately, among them, five people died

and four were wounded.

The Maiella Brigade was the only partisan group to receive the gold

medal for valor and the only one to keep fighting even after the

liberation of its home territory.

The Majella fighters were also decorated with 11 silver medals for valor,

34 bronze medals and 144 crosses of war.

Text written by Tea Primante, Lucilla Ricci and Antonio Taut (3rd year Lyceum)

Bouquet, Viale Marconi 10, 00156 Roma, +39 0733/2345
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