Phyllis Pickett and Derek Rowe at the grave of their father, Sam Rowe, at Salerno war cemetery, Italy.
On 9 September 1943 the Allies landed at Salerno, south-east of Naples, as the point where the invasion of mainland Italy was launched. On 13 September, the day on which Sam was killed, the Germans launched a counter-attack. By the end of September the southern part of Italy was under Allied control, but a long slog up through Italy was to follow.