Eugen Bönsch

Name:

Eugen Bönsch

Country:

Austro-Hungarian Empire

Rank:

Feldwebel

Units:

Flek 6, 8
Flik 51J

Victories:

Born:

01 May 1897

Place of Birth:

Gross-Aupa, Northern Bohemia

Died:

24 July 1951

Place of Death:

Ehrwald, Austria

Bönsch joined the army in 1915 and transferred to the Army Air Service after completing basic training. In 1917 he joined Flek 8 to become a pilot and in August of the same year he was assigned to Flik 51J where he scored 16 victories flying the Albatros D.III. Shortly before the end of the war, Bönsch was shot down in flames, possibly by Flaminio Avet, but was saved by his parachute. In World War II, Bönsch served with the German Luftwaffe as a Hauptmann at Oschatz Air Base in Saxony.

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	01 Sep 1917		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (53.57)	Nieuport Scout	Monte San Gabriele
2	28 Sep 1917		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.35)	Balloon	N of Plava
3	29 Sep 1917		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.35)	Nieuport Scout	S of Plava
4	03 Dec 1917	a.m.	Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.35)	Balloon	Visnadello
5	21 Feb 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.35)	Sopwith Camel	Casa Zonta
6	16 Mar 1918	1140	Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.140)	Sopwith Camel	Zenson
7	03 Apr 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.140)	Balloon	SW of San Biaggio
8	17 Apr 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.140)	SAML 2	Monte Grappa
u/c	03 May 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.155)	Balloon	NW of Monastier di Treviso
9	16 Jun 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.140)	Balloon	Breda di Piave
10	20 Jun 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (153.140)	Scout	Montello
11	08 Aug 1918	2047	Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (253.37)	Balloon	Vascon
12	05 Oct 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III (253.37)	Balloon	W of Ponti di Piave
13	27 Oct 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III	R.E.8	W of Papadopoli
14	27 Oct 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III	Sopwith Camel	Papadopoli Island
15	28 Oct 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III	Hanriot HD.1	Papadopoli Island
16	29 Oct 1918		Flik 51J	Albatros D.III	Hanriot HD.1	Papadopoli Island

Books

Above the War Fronts: by Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest, Gregory Alegi / Hardcover / Grub Street (September 1997)
Air Aces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire 1914-1918: by Dr. Martin O'Connor / Hardcover / Flying Machines Press (January 1986)
Austro-Hungarian Aces of World War 1: by Chris Chant, Mark Rolfe (Illustrator) / Paperback / Osprey Publishing (February 25, 2002)