The Diary of Sub-Lieutenant Carlo Casolari, Part Three

Captain Gozzi suddenly decides that I can leave the river to go to the 105 [battery] only on Tuesday and Friday. Several comments about my discipline, considered as excessively lax, follow. I have been assigned Sergeant Major Fenigno. A good Sicilian boy. At least he does not live nearby. I have nothing against the locals, but they are constantly asking for leaves, which the Captain, also a local, unvariably grants. Anyway, I don’t torment myself too much. In fact, very little. I almost lost the habit to think and I let the most complete apathy overtake me. (…) Sometimes, when I receive letters from former girlfriends, I am seized by discomfort, for instance in the case of Luci’s note – perhaps she thought it would please me, but this reminded me of when she left me, in Piandelagotti, before departing. Mannaggia i fimmene [Sicilian: “damn the women”], as they say here! On the 19th I am summoned to Sciacca, at the first battery, in order to receive coded information from the BBCC [??]: “Mr. … suffers from acute hepatitis and must undergo surgery. His condition is not serious as of now”. I confirmed: “Flowered land, dag on sword and something floats on the water of Zilani”. The dead body they found was carrying documents considered of great importance for national security. It seems that the enemy was trying to make us believe in a landing in Sardinia. All was followed by an anti-paratroopers alarm. This was the fourth ambush they fell into, but even if we had thwarted the attack, there’s nothing good to be expected: by all evidence they were testing the water for the invasion.

Meanwhile, beautiful as the sun, Captain Raimondi left for two months of sick leave. One at a random, Raimondi, the one with connections, as usual! On 20 January we are rewieved by the General in command of the 6th Army, Roatta. This time it is my turn: I am closely scrutinized about the movements. I expect a reprimano, instead they have little to say all considered. Meanwhile, for my studies, I have set aside analytic geometry in order to focus exclusively on mathematical analysis and chemistry. I might make it, by golly. I am not very sure.

(Taken and freely translated from: https://www.yumpu.com/user/grigioverde.org)