Air Aces of World War One

Hpt. Godwin von Brumowski – Austro- Hungarian Fighter Ace 1889/1936

Godwin von Brumowski was born in to a Military family in Wadowice, Galicia (Present day Poland). He attended the k.u.k. Technical Military Academy at Modling, near Vienna, from where he graduated as a Lieutenant commissioned in to the 29th Field Artillery on 18th August 1910.

He was serving in the 6th Artillery Division and had just turned 25 yrs of age when war was declared against Serbia on 28th July 1914. He served on the Eastern Front against Russia, winning both a bronze and silver medal for bravery before transferring to the air service in the Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops (k.u.k.Luftfahrtruppen)

He was posted to Fliegercompagnie1(Flik1) at Czernowitz commanded be Hpt. Otto Jindra in July 1915; von Brumowski was initially assigned as an aerial observer on the Russian Front.

On the 12th of April 1916, Jindra and von Brumowski crewed one of the seven Austro-Hungarian planes that participated in the bombing of a military review attended by Czar Nicholas II. In the process they shot down two of the Morane Saulnier Parasols that were sent to drive them off.

On the 3rd of July 1916, von Brumowski became a pilot with Flik1, despite a slight defect in his right eye, which he corrected with a monocle in that November he transferred to Flik12 on the Italian Front. He helped down an Italian Caproni bomber on December 3rd. He became an Ace on January the 2nd when he downed an Italian Farman 2-seater whilst flying a Hansa- Brandenberg C.1. Up to this time all of his victories had been achieved whilst flying 2-seaters that were really unsuitable for the rigours of aerial combat. …. to be continued.

(C) Damian Grange 2018