During the invasion of Sicily on 10 July, No. 81 Squadron was one of the aerial units helping to protect the landings. While on patrol on 16 July, No. 81 Squadron encountered a dozen Bf 109s; Peart was responsible for damaging one of them, when flying one of the older Spitfire Vcs. A few days afterwards, the squadron began operating from Sicily itself. While escorting Douglas Boston bombers over the Gulf of Saint Euphemia on 28 August, Peart, back in a Spitfire IX, was among eight Spitfires that fended off an attack mounted by a group of Bf 109s, destroying one of them in the process. On 13 September, when leading a flight of six Spitfires, he helped two other pilots in destroying a Dornier Do 217 bomber, one of three attacking Allied shipping near the beachhead at Salerno. Afterwards he had to land at Salerno due to an overheating engine. He caught a ride back on a Douglas C47 transport back to his airfield.