Athol Garthwaite was the son of Frederick and Emma May Garthwaite, of Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand.

Athol Garthwaite was one of five brothers who served in WW II and was the only one killed.

During July 1944 the New Zealand Artillery was part of the advance to Florence. After the fall of Rome troops rested by the Liri river, training and recreation taking up the days until 7 July when orders were received that the Division should concentrate near Lake Trasimene. After the taking of Rome by the Allies in June 1944 the Germans fell back to the Gothic Line.They needed time to consolidate this line. For their part the Allies aimed to reach the Northern Apennines before this consolidation could take place. The result was that as the Fifth Army advanced along the coast and the Eighth Army advanced further inland they found stiff resistance as the Germans sought to slow down Allied progress. From 5 July the Allies encountered resolute resistance in defence of positions just south of a line Ancona-Arezzo-Leghorn and in particular on both sides of the Chiana valley.The Allied attack along this line began on 14/15 July.Within a week it had taken all the strong points of the German defences and had gained the ports of Ancona and Leghorn.The Americans reached the Arno on 4 August and on the 13 August the 8th Indian Division crossed the river and occupied Florence. AWMM