Hi,
Volume Five of "A History of the Mediterranean Air War - 1940-1945", by Christopher Shores & Giovanni Massimello, page 317, lists the location as "
32km N. Venice" (Italy), and the Lysander's crew as being "
Flg Off J.F.A. Rayns and three...".
An online article on the Nov. 22, 1944 overfly of the small town of San. Donà di Piave (NE of Venice, Italy), by the US bombers returning to their bases in Southern Italy states (my translation)
"...At around 1:30PM, we witnessed the shootdown of an enemy fighter, probably hit by another fighter – perhaps German.
The aircraft was seen fly erratically and then upside down, eventually going down, and hitting the ground at a distance estimated at 10 km from S.Donà di Piave.
I, Sgt. Arturo Antoniazzi, G.N.R. Detachment Cdr. (translator’s note: G.N.R stands for
Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana, i.e. the
Republican National Guard of Mussolini’s post-1943,
Social Republic puppet-state), along with Pvt. Giuseppe Santagata and Corp. Gino Baron, also part of said Detachment, arrived at the crash site. As result of our investigation we hereby report that the aircraft came down in the
Formichè district of the village of
Ceggia, near the “
Tenuta Garibaldi” (“
Garibaldi Estate”).
The aircraft appeared completely destroyed by the crash and consumed by the ensuing fire.
The crew, which consisted of three operatives of the Anglo-American propaganda service operating in the Republic, had perished as a result of the crash.
The investigation of the corpses has provided the confirmed identification of one of them, as Renato Piano, born in Milan on Sep. 26, 1926, resident in Rome, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 37, I.D. Card # 4.281.982, issued on Sep. 11, 1942, by The Governor, Armando Scaccion. He was carrying a sealed envelope containing 14,900 LIRE, in small-denomination bills, a loaded Constabuli pistol, and a Faculty of Literature, university badge. It was not possible to establish the identity of the other two victims, as they were totally devoid of any identification documents. We assume they have been searched and robbed of their personal belongings, before our arrival, by the locals.
Not far from the wreckage, we have also discovered some care packages, as well as a radio transceiver.
All the items have been handed to 2nd Lt. Stefano Bartolucci, of the Ceggia-station of the German SS police."
On 11/22/1944, San Donà di Piave, was being overflown by the 15th AF bombers, returning from their missions into Germany, Austria and NE Italy
Per
https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/november-1944-army-air-forces.cfm
"11/22/44 Fifteenth AF
205 HBs hit E and W M/Ys at Munich. 214 others fail to reach primaries because of impenetrable weather and attack alternates and T/Os including M/Ys at Regensburg, Salzburg, Lienz, and Villach and several T/Os at scattered points. Ftrs provide escort to Munich. ..."
It is therefore quite possible that the P-51 Mustang, of the 325th Fighter Group of the US 15th Air Force, which shot down Rayns, was part of the escort to those missions.
The village of Ceggia is located about 32 km N-E of Venice, therefore, the date, number of victims in the crash, and above all the fact that they were identified as flying some type of covert mission, leads me to believe this shootdown and the one mentioned in the book are one and the same.
Unfortunately, the "Formiché" district, and the "Tenuta Garibaldi", no longer exist, and therefore pinpointing the exact location is hard, to say the least!
There is a "Via Formighé" street (I'm pretty sure there is a typo in Antoniazzi's report) that possibly, encompasses the old district, beginning at the coordinates 45.65874878987504N, 12.61009950739393E and ending at the coordinates 45.689236048774994N, 12.617063120222724E.
I hope this provides further details on your heroic uncle's unfortunate demise.
Best regards.
Peter Zanella
