Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1893–1917)

Prince Tassilo Wilhelm Humbert Leopold Friedrich Karl of Prussia (April 6, 1893 – April 6, 1917) was a German prince and horse rider who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Prince Friedrich Karl von Preußen was born in Schloss Klein-Glienicke, Potsdam/Berlin. 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.

He was part of the German team, which was able to win a bronze medal in the equestrian team jumping event. His horse during the Olympic competition was "Gibson Boy".

He fought in World War I between 1914 and 1917. He commanded FA(A)258, but flew patrols in a single seat fighter with Jasta Boelcke whenever possible. During one such patrol on March 21, 1917 he was forced to land with a bullet in his engine and a slight wound to his foot. He landed his Albatros aircraft in no-man's land, but while running towards his own lines he was severely wounded in the back by Australian troops. He was taken into Australian war captivity where he died from his injuries on April 6, 1917 at Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.

Regimental Commissions

• 1. Garderegiment zu Fuß (1st Regiment of Foot Guards), Leutnant à la suite from 1903; Leutnant by 1908.^[1]

• Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) 258 (artillery aerial observer squadron), squadron commander, 1917.

Chivalric Orders^[2]

• 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

Ancestry

References

External links

• See for photograph of Prince Karl and airplane
• Information about Fliegerabteilung 258 & von Preußen