Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay
Encyclopedia
Leutnant Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay (14 September 1898 - 26 October 1918) was a German World War I ace
fighter pilot credited with 25 victories. He is notable for being World War I's youngest recipient of Germany's highest decoration for military valor, the Pour le Merite
.
started in August 1914, he was still a month short of his sixteenth birthday. He signed up in the regiment his father had served in, the 4th Prussian Dragoons, which was also the 'home' regiment of Manfred von Richthofen
.
He served with the Dragoons during fighting in the Rokitno Swamps in the summer of 1916. He was awarded the Iron Cross
First Class during this period.
He then transferred to the German air service in 1917. By November, he had qualified as a pilot. From the start, he honored his old unit in the insignia he had painted on all his planes; it consisted of a numeral 4 and a capital letter D merged into what could have easily been a cattle brand in the American wild west.
, where he opened his victory list as a fighter pilot.
The pilots of Jasta 15 had received new Siemens-Schuckert D.III
fighters, along with orders that forbade them from flying over enemy lines lest one of the new planes fall into the foe's hands and its design be compromised. As they lazed in a French meadow on 28 May 1918, a squadron of French Dorand AR.2s intruded. The jasta scrambled. At 11:15 AM, Beaulieu-Marconnay scored his first victory.
The following month, he scored regularly; he became an ace on 11 June, and a week later had run his total to eight. His run of victories then lapsed for about seven weeks.
Double victory on 9 August made him an Uberkanone—the German version of an ace. He went on to score three more wins in August.
Then, despite his youth, he was appointed to command Jagdstaffel 19
on September 4, ten days shy of his twentieth birthday.
He would begin his tenure as commander by tallying nine wins in September. Four more would follow in October, with his 25th and last coming on 10 October 1918.
On October 18, in the confusion of a dogfight, Beaulieu-Marconnay was seriously wounded in the thigh by a fellow German from Jagdstaffel 74. He managed to make it back to his home airfield, and was rushed to the hospital, bleeding freely.
It was obvious he was in very critical condition. The Kaiser took notice of this, and rushed through an award of the Pour le Merite
. The Blue Max
could not be awarded posthumously, and to procrastinate risked the young ace's death while he was honored with only the Iron Cross
. Notice of the award was forwarded to the hospital on 26 October 1918. Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay never knew of the award; he had died six hours before the news arrived.
He was buried in the famous Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin.
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...
fighter pilot credited with 25 victories. He is notable for being World War I's youngest recipient of Germany's highest decoration for military valor, the Pour le Merite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
.
Early life and service
Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay was born on 14 September 1898. He was the son of an aristocratic Prussian army officer; "freiherr" is the Prussian approximation of "baron". When World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
started in August 1914, he was still a month short of his sixteenth birthday. He signed up in the regiment his father had served in, the 4th Prussian Dragoons, which was also the 'home' regiment of Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
.
He served with the Dragoons during fighting in the Rokitno Swamps in the summer of 1916. He was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
First Class during this period.
He then transferred to the German air service in 1917. By November, he had qualified as a pilot. From the start, he honored his old unit in the insignia he had painted on all his planes; it consisted of a numeral 4 and a capital letter D merged into what could have easily been a cattle brand in the American wild west.
Aerial Service
In December 1917, Beaulieu-Marconnay was assigned to Jagdstaffel 16. He was subsequently reassigned to Jagdstaffel 15Jagdstaffel 15
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 15, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 15, was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe...
, where he opened his victory list as a fighter pilot.
The pilots of Jasta 15 had received new Siemens-Schuckert D.III
Siemens-Schuckert D.III
-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander Books, 1994. ISBN 0-83173-939-8....
fighters, along with orders that forbade them from flying over enemy lines lest one of the new planes fall into the foe's hands and its design be compromised. As they lazed in a French meadow on 28 May 1918, a squadron of French Dorand AR.2s intruded. The jasta scrambled. At 11:15 AM, Beaulieu-Marconnay scored his first victory.
The following month, he scored regularly; he became an ace on 11 June, and a week later had run his total to eight. His run of victories then lapsed for about seven weeks.
Double victory on 9 August made him an Uberkanone—the German version of an ace. He went on to score three more wins in August.
Then, despite his youth, he was appointed to command Jagdstaffel 19
Jagdstaffel 19
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 19 was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe...
on September 4, ten days shy of his twentieth birthday.
He would begin his tenure as commander by tallying nine wins in September. Four more would follow in October, with his 25th and last coming on 10 October 1918.
On October 18, in the confusion of a dogfight, Beaulieu-Marconnay was seriously wounded in the thigh by a fellow German from Jagdstaffel 74. He managed to make it back to his home airfield, and was rushed to the hospital, bleeding freely.
It was obvious he was in very critical condition. The Kaiser took notice of this, and rushed through an award of the Pour le Merite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
. The Blue Max
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
could not be awarded posthumously, and to procrastinate risked the young ace's death while he was honored with only the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
. Notice of the award was forwarded to the hospital on 26 October 1918. Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay never knew of the award; he had died six hours before the news arrived.
He was buried in the famous Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin.