Date: 26/27th April 1944
Unit: No. 619 Squadron
Type: Lancaster I
Serial: LL919
Code: PG-W
Base: Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire
Location: Dijon
Pilot : Fl/Lt. Guy Godfrey Charles Gunzi 169429 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed
Fl/ Eng: Fl/Sgt. Ernest George Cass 573138 R.A.F. Age 21. Killed
Nav: F/O. Nickolas Vlassie J/28974 R.C.A.F. Age 25. Killed (1)
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. J W Mills P.O.W Survived.
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Alan Pickstone 1436408 R.A.F.V.R. Age 23. Killed
Air/Gnr: P/O. Lewis Leslie Feindell J/86639 R.C.A.F. Age ? Killed (2)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Kenneth Frank 1590367 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 21.32 hrs. from Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire to attack Schweinfurt in what is described as a failure with the low-level marking of the Mosquitoes from 5 group bot being accurate, bombing was very poor and much of it fell outside the target area. 2 people on the ground were killed but following the fierce fighting with the Luftwaffe Night fighters the allies lost a total of 21 aircraft of the 215 taking part!
Lancaster LL919 is listed as being shot down by Oblt.Dietrich Schmidt of 8./NJG1 with combat taking place at Dijon South West of St. Dizier at a height of 4.400 mtrs. at 00.47 hrs.
Oblt. Schmidt survived the war with 38 kills and died in March 2002.
Above left to right: P/O. Feindell, Fl/Sgt. Alan Pickstone (Courtesy RAF Museum)
Oblt.Dietrich Schmidt of 8./NJG1 (A.R. Society archives)
The crew burial site at Landeville Churchyard (Courtesy C.W.G.C.)
(1) Vlassie Lake in Manitoba is named after F/O Vlassie
(2) Feindell Lake in Saskatchewan is named after P/O Feindell
Burial details:
Fl/Lt. Guy Godfrey Charles Gunzi Landeville Churchyard Grave 1.
Son of Charles Terrence and Ella Maria Gunzi.
Fl/Sgt. Ernest George Cass Landeville Churchyard Grave 4.
Son of Henry James Cass and Thirza Cass, husband of Barbara Eileen Cass, of Sherwood, Nottingham.
F/O. Nickolas Vlassie Landeville Churchyard Grave 2.
Son of Andrew and Photini Vlassie, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Fl/Sgt. Alan Pickstone Landeville Churchyard Grave 6.
Son of Harold and Minnie Pickstone, of Radcliffe, Lancashire.
P/O. Lewis Leslie Feindell Landeville Churchyard Grave 5.
Son of Lewis and Agne (nee Pratt). Nephew of John T. Green of Semans Sask., who raised him after his parents died. Half brother of John William and Dale
Sgt. Kenneth Frank Landeville Churchyard Grave 3.
Son of Arthur and Ottoline Frank, of Pickering, Yorkshire.
Researched by: Melvin Brownless and Kelvin T. Youngs (A.R. Society) Further information supplied by Colin Bamford. For relatives of the crew.
Acknowledgments: With thanks to the following (Purchase them "HERE"): Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries", Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt "Bomber Command War Diaries". The Commonwealth Graves Commission.
