During WWI, the Austro-Hungarian Air Service played an important role on the Italian front. The most scoring Austro-Hungarian ace was Godwin Brumowski, who was born on July 26, 1889, in Wadowice, Galicia. When war was declared, he was an officer in an artillery regiment. After he performed well in combat on the Russian front, he joined the air service in July 1915. While assigned to Flik 1 unit, he often flew missions as Otto Jindra’s observer. As an observer, his first victory came on April 12, when he shot down two aircraft, followed by another one on May 2. Godwin Brumowski became a fighter pilot on July 3, 1916, and joined Flik 12 on the Italian front in November 1916. He flew a Hansa-Brandenburg D.I in his new squadron. After shooting down an aircraft on December 3, he became an ace on January 2, 1917, when he claimed a victory over a Farman aircraft. The next month, Austro-Hungary set up Flik 41J as its first dedicated fighter squadron on the Italian Front. Brumowski became the squadron’s commander, and in this squadron, he officially scored three victories in May, one in July, and 12 in August, bringing his personal score to 21.
Ace Journey of Godwin Brumowski
After that, his squadron was equipped with Albatros D.III, and with this new aircraft, Godwin Brumowski scored an aerial victory in October, six in November, and one in December, to end his 1917 at a personal score of 29. On February 1, 1918, Brumowski fought against eight enemy fighters. During the battle, 26 bullets hit his Albatros, causing the fuel tank in the upper wing to catch fire. He was able to land safely at his base without serious injuries, which was unusual for someone experiencing an in-flight fire. The fire burned off the fabric from the upper wing and damaged the inner parts of the lower wing, leaving only the charred wooden structures visible. Three days later, while flying another Albatros, he faced another battle with eight British fighters. He was hit multiple times by machine gun fire, and his wings began to break apart. Despite this, he managed to land, but the Albatros flipped over and was destroyed. His next win came in March, followed by one in April, and four in June, bringing his personal score to 35. Godwin Brumowski fought until June 23, 1918, when he was put on extended leave. His last successful fight was on June 19, and he had completed 439 combat missions by then, but his fighting career came to an end. On October 11, although he was still only a Captain, he was appointed to lead all Austro-Hungarian fighter squadrons on the Isonzo Front, but WWI ended a month later.
Legacy and Death
In WWI, Godwin Brumowski was awarded the Order of the Iron Crown (Austria), Order of Leopold, Medal for Bravery (Austria-Hungary), Military Merit Medal, and Iron Cross, but he was never awarded the nation’s highest award, the Military Order of Maria Theresa (specifically the Knight’s Cross). After the war, Brumowski tried farming on his mother-in-law’s estate in Transylvania, but it did not work out. In 1930, he moved to Vienna, where he started a flying school. In the early 1930s, Brumowski flew planes for the conservative Heimwehr militia. During the short Austrian Civil War in 1934, he conducted several reconnaissance missions and one combat flight. On June 3, 1936, Godwin Brumowski died in a plane crash while teaching a Dutch student at Schiphol Airfield in the Netherlands. His daughter summarized his life by saying, “He was a very unique and interesting person who was either very much loved or hated. Many even thought he was crazy.” In the Aces series, Godwin Brumowski was a unique talent and brave pilot who didn’t receive the appreciation he deserved. Read stories about more aces HERE.
