Lettera to the German Armed Forces Information Office, 28th January 1944

We found this letter between the pages of Nonna’s second diary - it’s a remarkable and sobering discovery, and adds a profound layer of tension to your story, showing exactly how desperate and dangerous the search for Nonno Mario was months before the liberation.

The document is an official inquiry she sent to the Wehrmachtauskunftstelle (the German Armed Forces Information Office) in Berlin. It confirms that Nonno Mario was a Lieutenant in the Italian Air Force and that Nonna Lella had heard he had been taken as a German prisoner. At a time when so many Italian soldiers were being deported to labor and concentration camps in the north, this letter is a testament to her courage and resilience.

Back Translation: German to English

Castiglioncello, 28 January 1944

To the Wehrmacht Information Office B e r l i n ============

Subject: Information regarding First Lieutenant (Oblt.) of the Italian Air Force, Mario Badalassi.

First Lieutenant Mario Badalassi, born on 29 December 1916 in Livorno, was last stationed with the Italian Air Force in Cagliari, Sardinia.

The last news I received from him was on September 8, 1943. Through one of his comrades, I learned that he, along with several others, was taken into German captivity.

I now request that you please carry out an investigation and let me have news regarding the well-being of my husband.

Thank you in advance for your efforts.