Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay

2 Aerial Service
He then transferred to the German air service in 1917
and by November had qualied as a pilot. On 1 December 1917 he was assigned to Jagdstael 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 Jasta 18 without success until his transfer to Josef
Veltjens' Jagdstael 15 on 20 March 1918.[2]
Jasta 15 had recently received the new SiemensSchuckert D.III ghters, and were limited to defensive
operations, as they had orders forbidding ights over enemy lines lest one of the new planes fall into Allied
hands. However, on 28 May 1918, a formation of French
Dorand AR.2s were reported over German held territory. The jasta scrambled to intercept and BeaulieuMarconnay scored his rst victory.[3]

Grave of Oliver von Beaulieu Marconnay (1918) on the Invalidenfriedhof Berlin

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
Leutnant Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay went on to score three more victories in August.[1][2]
(14 September 1898 - 26 October 1918) was a German
World War I ace ghter pilot credited with 25 victories. Despite being only 19 years old, Beaulieu-Marconnay
to command Jagdstael 19 on 4
He is notable for being World War Is youngest recipient was then appointed
[4]
September.
He
would
begin his tenure as commander
of Germanys highest decoration for military valor, the
by
totalling
ten
victories
in September, and four more in
Pour le Merite.[1][2]
October. His 25th and last conrmed victory came on 10
October 1918.[1][2]

On October 18, in the confusion of a dogght, BeaulieuMarconnay was seriously wounded in the thigh, possibly
as a result of 'friendly re' from a fellow German pilot[2]
from Jagdstael 74. He managed to regain his home
aireld and land safely, and was rushed to the hospital,
bleeding freely and in very critical condition.

Early life and service

The award of the Pour le Merite was reportedly rushed

through as the Blue Max could not be awarded posthumously, and to procrastinate risked the young aces death
while he was honored with only the Iron Cross.[2] Notice
of the award was forwarded to the hospital on 26 October
1918. He was the youngest recipient of the 'Blue Max'.
However, Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay, who
had lingered with his wound for ten days, died six hours
before the news arrived, possibly as the result of a postoperative infection.[5]

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 sixteen-year-old
high school student. The following year, still 16, he volunteered as a cadet for service in his fathers former regiment, the 4th Prussian Dragoons. He served with the
Dragoons in Russia, and participated in ghting 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]

He was buried in the famous Invalidenfriedhof in

1

Berlin.[1][6]

Inline citations

[1] The Aerodrome website http://www.theaerodrome.com/

aces/germany/beaulieu-marconnay.php
[2] Franks et al 1993, p. 68.,
[3] Jagdgeschwader Nr II Geschwader 'Berthold'. p. 40.
[4] Jagdgeschwader Nr II Geschwader 'Berthold'. p. 90.
[5] Jagdgeschwader Nr II Geschwader 'Berthold'. pp. 112
113.
[6] Wikimedia commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/Invalidenfriedhof

References
Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell.
Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the
German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 19141918. Grub Street, 1993.
ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
VanWyngarden,
Greg;
Dempsey,
Harry.
Jagdgeschwader Nr II: Geschwader Berthold.
Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-84176-727-1,
ISBN 978-1-84176-727-7.

REFERENCES

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