EU9377DEBRIEF is a SRPANET file that is an unredacted version of Channing Brown's debriefing following the Siege of Genoa.
Transcript[]
SRPA.net File Locator #[EU9377Debrief]
Brown, Channing
Sgt.
Service No. 764122AX
Mildenhall UK
18.2.50
For Diplomatic Pouch to Department of War
Debriefing Summary, Transcript (Redacted)
BROWN: Upon reaching the northern edge of Genoa, we discovered the city was under attack from the east. The Italian command was headquartered in the Palazzo Doria. I was assigned to a mixed unit of British and Italian soldiers gathering intelligence under the command of Lte. Dillsent-Thomas, there were twelve of us in all. We moved south along the docks until we reached the river.
At the river, the local troops were engaged with the enemy. Although we'd been told about them, nothing actually prepared us for what we saw.
The Italians call them Demoni and something like Pesti. I saw three different types. There were huge numbers of what I guess I'd call, for lack of a better term, foot soldiers. They look so white they look dead. They aren't human, although they walk like humans. There were some that went on four legs, like a dog. Then there were a couple of stronger Demoni leading the troops. They had some kind of head gear, not a helmet. Our carbines were not very effective against them.
Local troops were not able to hold against the enemy.
One of the troops was an Austrian soldier who has been retreating since Vienna fell. Eigner, his name was. His English was very good. He claimed to be the last of his unit, maybe the last Austrian still in Europe. He claimed that anyone who falls behind their lines never escapes. We were attacked by one of the leader types and a bunch of foot soldiers and during the exchange of fire, he was severely wounded. He shot himself rather than risk being taken.
INTERVIEWER: Sergeant? Do you need a moment?
BROWN: No, I'm fine.
INTERVIEWER: Are you ready to continue?
BROWN: Yeah. The long and the short of it is, we retreated
back towards the Palazzo Doria, where I was entrusted with
a diplomatic pouch.
[pause]
Did anyone get out after me?