We had yesterday a very nice afternoon in Fondotoce and even a more pleasant evening in Baveno. After having briefly meet and dined with a couple of old friends (Leo Parachini, Pietro Pisano and Giorgio Danini), we moved to Baveno for the presentation, held at the local library.
It was a full-house mainly thanks to the marketing used to announce this evening, which brought together around forty interested people, among them few youngster. Mayor of Baveno Mrs. Maria-Rosa Gnocchi briefly introduced the evening. Prof. Giovanni Galli addressed the participants with the main facts about the German and Fascists activities in Baveno and surrounding. Giovanni Galli is well known-known in Baveno having researched and published a milestone research on the mass-shooting of 17 partisans in the aftermath operations of the Bandenbekämpfungstab Oberitalien West on 21 june 1944. Afterward it was my turn to resume the presentation.
Focusing exclusively on what happened during 1943-1945 the presentation spanned chronologically through the various war events that affected Baveno and surrounding. From the arrival of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Panzer Grenadier Regiment, up to the first activities of the SS-Pol.Rgt.15 in the region. An highlight of the evening was certainly the pictures of the German commanders such as: Ernst Weis (SS-Pol.Rgt.15), Ludwig Buch (SS-Pol.Rgt.15) and Waldemar Krumhaar (MEK80). The focus of the few slides was to allow the participants to grasp the mindset and the modus operandi of the German units around Baveno. We concluded the presentation with a nice discussion on various issues regarding the German operations in the region.
Many thanks for making possible this evening to Mrs. Gnocci, Mrs. Emma Lazzaro and Casa della Resistenza in Fondotoce as well as ANPI Verbania.
