Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg
| Benno Fiala von Fernbrugg | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 June 1890 Vienna, Austria |
| Died | 29 October 1964 (aged 74) Vienna, Austria |
| Allegiance |
 Austria-Hungary
|
| Service/branch | Artillery, aviation |
| Years of service | ca 1914–1918, unknown period during World War II |
| Rank | Hauptmann (Captain) |
| Unit | Fort Artillery Regiment 1, Fliegerkompagnies 1, 19, 41J, 12D, 56J. |
Hauptmann (Captain) Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg (16 June 1890 – 29 October 1964) was an Austro-Hungarian fighter ace with 28 victories to his credit during World War I. He was the third ranking ace of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His honours and decorations included the Order of the Iron Crown, Order of Leopold, Military Merit Cross, Military Merit Medal, Gold Medal for Bravery and the Iron Cross. He was also a technical innovator who pioneered the use of machine guns, radios, and cameras in airplanes. His forty-year aviation career also included aircraft manufacture, airport management, and the establishment of commercial airlines.
Benno Fiala von Fernbrugg was born in Vienna to an aristocratic family with a tradition of military service. His father was an artillery officer and his brother in naval aviation. Fiala attended primary and secondary school in Vienna, and went on to major in mechanical engineering at the local University of Technology, becoming an Ingenieur.
He had an early fascination with aviation but was initially refused aviation service, instead being gazetted as an officer in the engineers and assigned to Fort Artillery Regiment 1 in 1910.
Being assigned to the artillery didn't quash his interest in aviation; his brother was a naval aviator, and Fiala visited airports. While at one, he met Emil Uzelac, Commander of the fledgling air force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Uzelac arranged Fiala's transfer to Fliegerkompagnie 1 of the Luftfahrtruppen as a technical officer. Fiala completed training as a flying observer on 28 July 1914, the very day Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
In November 1914, Fiala took charge of the locomotive of a supply train and drove it to safety even though it was under attack by Russian troops and he was wounded in the action. He was awarded the Silver Military Merit Medal for this. On 10 November, he was also received a most unusual promotion to leutnant (Second Lieutenant) ahead of his sequence in seniority.
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