Gina Rescue mission in world war 2
While he was widely admired for his athletic achievements, few knew about cyclist and two-time Tour de France winner Gino Bartali's rescue efforts during World War II.
Germany occupied Italy, its former Axis partner, in 1943. Afterward, Gino used his fame and athleticism to smuggle messages in the handlebars and seat of his bicycle for underground rescue networks.
He couriered counterfeit paperwork to Jews in hiding, enabling them to escape deportation to Auschwitz.
Gino cycled from Florence throughout much of occupied Italy, sometimes even riding as far as Rome, proudly wearing his Italian racing jersey decorated with his name.
Hi hundreds of Italian Jews, then went on to win the Tour de France in 1948, ten years after his first win.
Gino did not speak about what he did during the war, sharing just a few details with his son. It was only after Gino's death in 2000 that his rescue efforts became known. In 2013, Yad Vashem recognized Gino as Righteous Among the Nations.
Comments
Post a Comment