Prince_Friedrich_Karl_of_Prussia_(1893–1917)
Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1893–1917)
German prince and equestrian
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]
| Prince Friedrich Karl | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Born | 6 April 1893 Schloss Klein-Glienicke, Potsdam, German Empire | ||||
| Died | 6 April 1917(1917-04-06) (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 |
Prince Friedrich Karl 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 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]
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. He landed his Albatros 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, where he died from his injuries on 6 April 1917 (his 24th birthday) at Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.[4]
- 1. Garderegiment zu Fuß (1st Regiment of Foot Guards), Leutnant à la suite from 1903; Leutnant by 1908.[5]
- Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) 258 (artillery aerial observer squadron), squadron commander, 1917.
Chivalric Orders[5]
- 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
- Iron Cross, Second Class
- Iron Cross, First Class
- Flugzeugführerabzeichen (Pilot's qualification badge), ca. 1917
- "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.
- Schench, G. Handbuch über den Königlich Preuβischen Hof und Staat fur das Jahr 1908. Berlin, Prussia, 1907.
