Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1893–1917)
| Prince Friedrich Karl | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 6 April 1893 Schloss Klein-Glienicke, Potsdam, German Empire | ||||
| Died | 6 April 1917 (aged 24) Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Hohenzollern | ||||
| Father | Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia | ||||
| Mother | Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg | ||||
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Equestrian | ||
| 1912 Stockholm | Team jumping | |
| Prussian Royalty |
| House of Hohenzollern |
|---|
| Descendants of Frederick William III |
|
Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (Tassilo Wilhelm Humbert Leopold Friedrich Karl; 6 April 1893 – 6 April 1917) was a German prince and competitive horseman who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.[1]
Early life and ancestry
Prince Friedrich Karl was born in Schloss Klein-Glienicke, Potsdam, Berlin, as a member of the House of Hohenzollern, that ruled over the German Empire. He was the son of Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1865–1931) and Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (1866–1952) and a grandson of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia.
Olympics
He was a member of the 1912 German Olympic equestrian team, which won a bronze medal in the team jumping event. His horse during the Olympic competition was "Gibson Boy".[2]
Military career
He fought in World War I as an aviator between 1914 and 1917. He commanded Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) 258, an artillery spotting unit, but flew patrols in a single-seat fighter with Jasta Boelcke whenever possible. During one such patrol, on 21 March 1917, he was forced to land because of a bullet in his engine and with a slight wound to his foot, suffered in combat with Fl Lt Charles Edward Murray Pickthorn. He landed his Albatross aircraft in no-man's land, but while running towards his own lines, he was shot in the back and severely wounded by Australian troops.[3] He was taken into captivity.
Death
During the captivity, he died from his injuries on 6 April 1917 (his 24th birthday) at Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.[4]
His body was buried in the Cimetière, Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.[5]
Friedrich Karl's mother later told a friend that upon learning of her son's death, Kaiser Wilhelm II sent the family a two-word telegram, reading only: "Noblesse oblige."[6]
In 1927, his remains were transferred to the Hohenzollern family crypt at Klein Glienicke, Potsdam, Berlin, Germany.[7]
Regimental commissions
- 1. Garderegiment zu Fuß (1st Regiment of Foot Guards), Leutnant à la suite from 1903; Leutnant by 1908.[8]
- Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) 258 (artillery aerial observer squadron), squadron commander, 1917.
Chivalric orders
Source:[8]
- Knight, Order of the Black Eagle, 1903
- Knight Grand Cross (with Crown), Order of the Red Eagle, 1903
- Knight, First Class, Prussian Crown Order, 1903
- Knight Grand Commander, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, ca 1903
Military decorations (1914–1917)
- Iron Cross, Second Class
- Iron Cross, First Class
- Flugzeugführerabzeichen (Pilot's qualification badge), ca. 1917
Gallery
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Prince Friedrich Karl running (1910)
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Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia at the 1912 Summer Olympics
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Prince Friedrich Karl and his equastrian team (1912)
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Prince Friedrich Karl in his military uniform (1913)
Ancestry
See also
References
- ^ "Friedrich Karl, Prince von Preußen". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ "Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia". Olympedia. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "German royal airman's last fight". The Times. Times Newspapers Limited. 2017-05-09. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ "Olympians Who Were Killed or Missing in Action or Died as a Result of War". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ http://www.royaltyguide.nl/families/fam-H/hohenzollern/hhzkings2.htm
- ^ Diary of A Man In Despair, by Friedrich Percyval Reck-Malleczewen, Translated by Paul Rubens, Duckworth Literary Entertainments, London, UK, 2000, p. 140
- ^ http://www.royaltyguide.nl/countries/germany/B/berlin/klglienicke.htm
- ^ a b Schench, G. Handbuch über den Königlich Preuβischen Hof und Staat fur das Jahr 1908. Berlin, Prussia, 1907.