Oberleutnant Stefan Kirmaier was a World War I flying ace

Flying ace

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 credited with eleven aerial victories.

Kirmaier began World War I as an infantryman. After transferring into aviation, he was posted to FAA 203 in 1915 and early 1916. He was then attached to KEK Jametz, and scored his first three victories during July 1916. On 5 October, he was moved up to fly a fighter in Jasta 2 under the command of Oswald Boelcke

Oswald Boelcke

Oswald Boelcke was a German flying ace of the First World War and one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. Boelcke is considered the father of the German fighter air force, as well as the "Father of Air Fighting Tactics"; he was the first to...

. Kirmaier then scored four wins between 17 and 26 October. On 28 October 1916, Boelcke was killed in action, and Kirmaier was entrusted with command of the squadron. While in command, he scored four more victories, all in November. On 22 November, Kirmaier died in action from a bullet through the head fired by either John Oliver Andrews

John Oliver Andrews

Air Vice Marshal John Oliver Andrews was an English flying ace of World War I. He was credited with twelve aerial victories. His most significant victory was over German ace Stefan Kirmaier, although he also enjoyed some success against Max Immelmann and Manfred von Richthofen...

 or Kelvin Crawford. Kirmaier was also awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern on the 22nd.

Reference

Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918 Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0948817739, 9780948817731.