Sergeant Pilot Anton von Boksay, an Austrian, started his service in the Infantry but was transferred to the Air Service in 1916. He was an excellent pilot and was soon assigned to a Fighter Squadron. Later he flew as a wingman for the leading Ace of the Squadron Lt. Josef Kiss with 19 victories.
Both of these men flew opposite Tennente (Lieutenant) Francis Carlo Lombardi, whose display is in this room, during the Piave Offensive and knew of each other in the air. Lombardi flew a green SPAD 7 bearing a red heart, the Squadron Insignia. Von Boksay flew a black albatross with the initials AvB on the sides in white.
Von Boksay and Lombardi met each other, for the first time since the Great War, at the commemorative meeting of the Aces Of The First Air War, which was held in Paris, France, November 6-11, 1981. When they were introduced to each other they began by extending a hand to each other, which ended with a warm embrace. They then began to exchange stories in French. It was quite an experience to see two old warriors become friends so many years after the conflict in which they tried to kill each other.
|
