The Controversy:
The world's first ace, French pilot Adolphe Pègoud, was shot down and killed on August 31, 1915, while attacking a German two-seater. The pilot is variously listed as Walter Kandulski or Otto Kandulski, and the observer who did the shooting as Julius Bielitz, Bilitz or Pilitz. Supposedly Kandulski was shot down and killed some time later (dates vary from "two weeks later" to May 18, 1916), by French pilot Roger Paul Ronserail. Ronserail became famous as "Le Vengeur de Pègoud".
There is an ongoing controversy at The Aerodrome website involving the exact circumstances of Kandulski's death, with posters claiming to be the grandsons of Kandulski and Ronserail telling different stories. Kandulski's grandson says that his grandfather was Walter and that he survived the war. Ronserail's grandson says that the German pilot was Otto Kandulski, not Walter, and that he was indeed shot down and killed. One possible resolution is a post showing the discovery of a log book by Walter Kandulski with an entry stating that it was he who brought Pegoud down. This same poster says that he has searched the original German records and there is no listing for an Otto Kandulski at all.
http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=43775
http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/sh...t=38089&page=2
Ronserail's grandson also claims that his grandfather was an ace with seven victories, but the Aerodrome 'Aces' section doesn't list him at all, and I can find no record of a victory list for him.
Is it possible that the whole thing was fabricated by French newspapers? I hesitate to make that claim in the face of a man claiming to be descended from Ronserail, but it seems to be a possibility.