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Name: Godwin Brumowski Balloon-Buster
Order of the Iron Crown
Order of Léopold
Medal for Bravery
Military Merit Medal		 Godwin Brumowski Iron Cross
Country: Austro-Hungarian Empire
Rank: Hauptmann
Service: Luftfahrtruppen Brumowski's Insignia
Units: Flik 1, 12, 41J (LFT)
Jasta 24 (GAS)
Victories: 35
Born: 26 July 1889
Place of Birth: Wadowice, Galicia
Died: 03 June 1936 Killed In Flying Accident
Place of Death: Schiphol, Netherlands
Cemetery: Vienna Zentralfriedhof
 
 
A gifted pilot, Brumowski was the Austro-Hungarian Empire's highest scoring ace. When war was declared, he was serving as an officer in an artillery regiment. After distinguishing himself in combat on the Russian front, he transferred to the air service in July 1915. Posted to Flik 1, he frequently flew missions as Otto Jindra's observer before becoming a pilot on 3 July 1916. In November 1916, Brumowski joined Flik 12 on the Italian front. Scoring five victories in less than two months, he was one of the few Austro-Hungarian pilots to receive the Gold Medal for Bravery. In March 1917, after studying German fighter tactics with Jasta 24 on the Western Front, he assumed command of Flik 41J, the first true Austro-Hungarian fighter squadron. Though he continued to favor the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I, Brumowski began flying the Albatros D.III in the summer of 1917, scoring his first victory with this aircraft on 17 August. By October 1917, his Albatros had been painted red, and when airborne, his squadron was easily identified by the macabre insignia Brumowski designed: a white skull on a black background. Having been recognized as an extraordinary leader, he was given command of all Austro-Hungarian fighter squadrons of the Isonzo on 11 October 1918.

After the war, Brumowski tried his hand at farming on his mother-in-law's estate in Transylvania. When that venture failed, he moved to Vienna where he operated a flying school until he was fatally injured in a plane crash in 1936 at the Schiphol airport near Amsterdam.
 
Victories
Date Time Unit Aircraft Opponent Location
1 12 Apr 1916 Flik 1 Albatros B.I (22.23) Morane P Iszkowcy
2 12 Apr 1916 Flik 1 Albatros B.I (22.23) Morane P W of Chotin
3 02 May 1916 0945 Flik 1 Albatros B.I (22.30) Morane P Lysskowcy
4 03 Dec 1916 p.m. Flik 12 Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (65.53) Caproni Ca.I E of Mavhinje
5 02 Jan 1917 p.m. Flik 12 Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (68.24) Farman Near Lake Doberdo
6 10 May 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.10) Voisin Monfalcone
u/c 12 May 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.10) Farman  
7 12 May 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.10) Nieuport Scout  
u/c 13 May 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.11) Voisin  
8 20 May 1917 1030 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.10) SPAD 2 Monte Santo
9 17 Jul 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.57) Voisin Isonzo River
10 10 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Nieuport Scout Chiapovano
11 11 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.57) Caudron Plava
12 11 Aug 1917 2000 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Caudron W of Plava
13 14 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Scout Near Grado
u/c 14 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Scout Near Grado
u/c 18 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Caudron Monte Santo
14 18 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Caudron Monte Santo
u/c 19 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Scout  
u/c 19 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Scout  
15 19 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.06) Caudron Karbinje-Ivangrad
16 20 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.06) Caudron San Giovanni
17 20 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Caudron Near Vertojba
18 20 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) EA Monte Santo
19 22 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Savoia-Pomilio Gorizia
20 23 Aug 1917 1040 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Savoia-Pomilio Bate
u/c 25 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Sopwith 2  
21 26 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) SPAD 1 Monte San Gabriele
u/c 28 Aug 1917 Flik 41J Hansa-Brandenburg D.I (28.69) Savoia-Pomilio  
22 09 Oct 1917 1700 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.45) Balloon Shobba Estuary
23 05 Nov 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.45) Macchi L3 W of Latisana
24 05 Nov 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.45) Macchi L3 W of Latisana
25 17 Nov 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.45) Balloon Piave River Estuary
26 23 Nov 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.45) Nieuport Scout Piave River Estuary
27 23 Nov 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.45) Nieuport Scout Piave River Estuary
28 28 Nov 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.52) Savoia-Pomilio Casa Serpo
29 13 Dec 1917 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.52) Balloon Near Meolo
30 25 Mar 1918 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.45) SIA 7b S of Oderzo
31 17 Apr 1918 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.45) Sopwith Camel Arcade
32 16 Jun 1918 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.209) Balloon Spresiano
33 19 Jun 1918 1545 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.209) Balloon Near Passarella
34 19 Jun 1918 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.209) Two-seater S of Candelu
35 19 Jun 1918 Flik 41J Albatros D.III (153.209) Ansaldo S.V.A.5 Montello
 
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)
 
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