Studio portrait of Prince Tassilo Wilhelm Humbert Leopold Friedrich Karl of Prussia, a German ...

Studio portrait of Prince Tassilo Wilhelm Humbert Leopold Friedrich Karl of Prussia, a German prince and competitive horse rider who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
Prince Tassilo Wilhelm Humbert Leopold Friedrich Karl of Prussia (also known as Prince Frederick Karl or Frederick Charles of Prussia), was born on 6 April 1893, the son of Prince Frederick Leopold of Prussia and Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. He was an all round sportsman, playing football (soccer), running track, playing tennis (he played tennis in England in 1913 under the name F Karl), and also an accomplished rider, winning a bronze medal with the German men's equestrian team in the show jumping at the 1912 Olympics.

During the First World War he served with the German Air Force. He told some Australian troops that he had initially served with the cavalry, but found it too slow so joined the German air force.

Prince Frederick commanded and flew with Fliegerabteillung (Artillerie) 258, an artillery observation unit. He also flew with Jasta 2 (also called Jasta Boelcke) on occasion. He was flying an Albatros D1 with Jasta 2 when he was shot down about 4pm on 21 March 1917. He had become separated from his formation and was attacked by an aircraft from No. 32 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, flown by Lieutenant Charles Edward Murray Pickthorn. Although the prince's aircraft was shot through the engine and he was wounded in the foot, he managed to land in no man's land and tried to make his way back to the German lines.

Unfortunately, at that time a number of Australians were nearby, including members of B Squadron, 13th Light Horse Regiment and men of the 26th Infantry Battalion. One of the light horsemen, Sergeant Tuff, who was patrolling on foot, seeing Prince Frederick running to the German lines but unable to catch him, shot at him, hitting him in the back, with the bullet entering the Prince's stomach, damaging his kidney.

In Tuff's account, he records that when he ran out to no man's land other Australians were still firing their rifles. He attached his bayonet to his rifle in case the airman was 'shamming' being wounded and found Prince Frederick lying in a shallow trench.

In an account sent to Official War Correspondent CEW Bean from the 26th Battalion received in May 1917, they stated it was 1821 Corporal Edward Powell who shot the prince (presumably they were unaware that the members of the Light Horse patrolling in the same area had also spotted the prince and fired on him). They also stated that the prince was captured by 1217 Private Clare Henry Horace Hall. In the statement Hall recounted that he was the first to reach the shallow 'dummy' trench, and found the wounded airman, and said "Good day, who are you?", the prince was groaning and said something in reply that Hall could not make out. Hall took the prince's cap and gloves before 'the Light horseman' (Tuff) arrived, then Hall walked away to 'pump ship' (urinate).

Tuff advised Hall that the prisoner was a prince, to which Hall replied, "No matter what he is, he is a Fritz & the S.bs. [stretcher bearers] are coming & will take him in if worth while". Members of the 26th battalion went to get a stretcher and some other Light Horsemen rode up soon after but were sent on their way. Hall bandaged the prince's wounds and Tuff took his statement as Hall refused to, as he believed the prince was lying about his identity. Tuff does not meniton Hall's presence at all and recorded that he remained with the Prince alone for 20 minutes while witing for a stretcher, resting the wounded man's head upon his knee with the Prince gripping Tuff's hand tightly as he was in great pain. Tuff recalled that the prince was afraid of being further wounded as shells were dropping nearby. The stretcher arrived and Prince Frederick was handed over to a major of the 26th Battalion before being taken away to a casualty clearing station.

While the Prince was shot on 21 March, the war diary for the 26th Battalion mistakenly dates the event to 23 March. It records that 'During the afternoon a German plane was shot down by an airman of the 32nd Squadron R.F.C. & landed in no mans land about 300 yards in front of our outposts. The German pilot made a dash for his own lines but was shot in the back as he ran by one of the men on our post. He was then taken prisoner & sent on a stretcher with all haste to the Aid post where he stated that his name was Prince Frederick Charles [sic] of Prussia. The German plane was dragged back behind a small copse during the evening & the next day handed over to the 32nd Squadron R.F.C. who dismantled it & carted it away'.

The prince was treated for his wounds but died of them at Rouen on 6 April 1917, his 24th birthday. He was buried near the hospital and attempts were later made from Germany, via a neutral nation, to have his remains returned to Germany, but this was deemed impossible at the time.

Although badly wounded, the prince was very courteous and friendly throughout his captivity and the general opinion of the medical staff, and also Tuff, was that the prince was a "good sort". This opinion was repeated in the press when the news of his capture, and later death, was reported.

In 1919 Tuff was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his work during the Bapaume operations in March 1917 and his work in September 1918. The former includes the period when he shot the Prince while on patrol. Recognising its significance, Tuff handed in this rifle (REL/05787) to the Australian War Records Section in December 1917