Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay
| Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Bauli |
| Born |
14 September 1898 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany |
| Died | 26 October 1918 (aged 20) Arlon, Belgium |
| Buried at | Invalidenfriedhof Berlin |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service/branch | Dragoons, Air Service |
| Years of service | 1914–1918 |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | 4th Prussian Dragoon Regiment, Jagdstaffel 15 |
| Commands held | Jagdstaffel 19 |
| Awards | Pour le Merite, Iron Cross First Class |
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.
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 father's former regiment, the 4th Prussian Dragoons. He served with the Dragoons in Russia, and participated in fighting 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.
He then transferred to the German air service in 1917 and by November had qualified as a pilot. On 1 December 1917 he was assigned to Jagdstaffel 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' Jagdstaffel 15 on 20 March 1918.
Jasta 15 had recently received the new Siemens-Schuckert D.III fighters, and were limited to defensive operations, as they had orders forbidding flights 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 Beaulieu-Marconnay scored his first victory.
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 went on to score three more victories in August.
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