Today in World War II History—Sept. 8, 1943

US troops en route to landing beaches at Salerno, Italy cheer the Italian surrender, 8 September 1943 (US Army Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—Sept. 8, 1943: Eisenhower announces secretly negotiated Italian surrender at 6:30 pm, 9 hours before the Allied landings at Salerno and Taranto.
Germans activate Operation Achse (occupying Italy and Italian-occupied French Riviera) at 8 pm, entering Rome and taking over the Italian coastal division at Salerno.
On Corsica, civilians rise up against Italians and occupy capital of Ajaccio.
today I’m remembering my Dad who was killed by Italian paratroopers on Sept. 8, 1943 — 75 years to the day. I was born six months after my Dad left for overseas in 1939. I was three but never did get a chance to meet my dad. he was with the West Nova scotia regiment and is buried in Bari, Italy.
I’m so sorry, Derek. What a tragedy for you and your family.