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
Bravery Medal. 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.
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