Four balloons
Sir: Mr Richard Bassett seems to have let his enthusiasm run away with him (`Grounded at last', 4 October).
Godfrey (or Gottfried) von Banfield was unquestionably a gallant airman whose exploits were honoured by the Ritterkreuz des Millar Maria-Theresian Ordens. But he was not Austria's greatest world war one ace nor was he an Irish soldier of fortune. He was born in Pola, his father was a Captain in the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine, and he himself was educated at the military school at St Poelten and at the Fiume Naval Academy.
He was therefore an Austrian career naval officer who later commanded the naval air station at Trieste. He flew the Brandenburg CC single-seat fighter flying boat (which incidentally was faster than Barracca's Nieuport II), making raids on Venice, Rimini and Ancona, attacking balloons on the Isonzo, airship sheds and other targets.
He did not shoot down a large number of enemy aeroplanes, so that it is difficult to claim he was the victor of countless aerial dogfights. He is credited with four observa- tion balloons, three FBA flying boats, a Caproni bomber and one other aeroplane. Strictly speaking, ten victories were re- quired to be recognised as an Austrian `ace'.
The highest-scoring Austrian airmen were Hauptman Godwin Brumowski (40 victories), Offizierstellvertreter (Acting officer) Julius Arigi (32 victories) and Oberleutnant Frank Linke-Crawford (30 victories).
Does it matter? Well, if your journalists can be so slipshod in matters that can easily be checked, how far can a reader rely upon reports that cannot be?
P. Bailey
Cambome, Northcote Road, West Horsley, Surrey
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