Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay
Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | "Bauli" |
Born | Invalidenfriedhof Berlin | 14 September 1898
Allegiance | German Empire |
Service/ | Imperial German Army
|
Years of service | 1914–1918 |
Rank | Leutnant |
Unit | 4th Prussian Dragoon Regiment Pour le Merite First ClassIron Cross |
Leutnant Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay (14 September 1898 – 26 October 1918) was a German
Early life and service
Olivier Freiherr (Baron) von Beaulieu-Marconnay was born in Charlottenburg on 14 September 1898, the son of an aristocratic Prussian Army captain. When World War I started in August 1914, he was a high school student, not quite 16. The following year, at 16, he volunteered as a cadet for service in his father's former regiment, the 4th Prussian Dragoons. He served with the Dragoons in Russia, and participated in fighting in the Rokitno Swamps in the summer of 1916. He was promoted to leutnant in July 1916, being awarded the Iron Cross First Class later in the year.[2]
Aerial service
He then transferred to the German air service in 1917 and by November had qualified as a pilot. On 1 December 1917 he was assigned to Jagdstaffel 18. He paid tribute to the 4th Prussian Dragoons by having a personal insignia painted on all his planes consisting of a numeral 4 merged with a capital letter D. His planes also featured a blue fuselage, yellow wheel covers, and nose painted yellow back to the cockpit. Beaulieu-Marconnay served with Jagdstaffel 18 without success until his transfer to Josef Veltjens' Jagdstaffel 15 on 20 March 1918.[2] However, he developed such a close friendship with two other teenage aces, Georg von Hantelmann and Hugo Schäfer, that they were dubbed The Inseparables.[3]
Jagdstaffel 15 had recently received the new
The following month he scored regularly becoming an ace on 11 June and a week later had run his total to eight. A double victory on 9 August made him a double ace. He went on to score three more victories in August.[1][2] At some time in August, he was equipped with a much-modified BMW engined Fokker D.VII, seemingly a Berthold hand-me-down.[5]
Despite being only 19 years old, Beaulieu-Marconnay was then appointed to command Jagdstaffel 19 on 4 September.[6] He would begin his tenure as commander by totaling ten victories in September, and four more in October. His 25th and last confirmed victory came on 10 October 1918.[1][2]
On 18 October, in the confusion of a dogfight, Beaulieu-Marconnay was seriously wounded in the thigh, possibly as a result of friendly fire from a fellow German pilot[2] from Jagdstaffel 74. He managed to regain his home airfield and land safely, and was rushed to the hospital, bleeding freely and in very critical condition.[7]
The award of the
He was buried in the famous
Inline citations
- ^ a b c d {{cite ( Lt. Werner Voss was the youngest recipient of the Pour le Merite at age 19) web|url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/beaulieu-marconnay.php%7Ctitle=Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay|website=www.theaerodrome.com}}
- ^ a b c d e f g Franks, Bailey & Guest 1993, p. 68.
- ^ VanWyngarden & Dempsey 2005, p. 81.
- ^ Kilduff 2012, p. 40.
- ^ VanWyngarden & Dempsey 2005, p. 126.
- ^ Kilduff 2012, p. 90.
- ^ VanWyngarden & Dempsey 2005, p. 112.
- ^ Kilduff 2012, pp. 112–113.
- ^ Kilduff 2012, p. 135.
References
- ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
- Kilduff, Peter (2012). Iron Man: Rudolf Berthold: Germany's Indomitable World War I Fighter Ace. London UK: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 978-1-908117-37-3.
- VanWyngarden, Greg; Dempsey, Harry (2005). Jagdgeschwader Nr II: Geschwader Berthold. Oxford UK: ISBN 978-1-84176-727-7.