People did die quite regularly.” explains Sam Jefferson, author of The Sea Devil, a biography of Von Luckner. “It was the final fling of tall ships as a commercial entity, so they were often undermanned. Life aboard a sailing ship in the late 1800s was often dramatic and dangerous. Some of these stories are obviously made up - but others are probably true. At 13 years old, he ran away from home and jumped on a Russian sailing ship.Īccording to his autobiography he spent the next few years getting into adventures all over the world. Subscribe free to Black Sheep: Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, RadioPublic or Stitcher.įelix Von Luckner was born in June 1881 to a family of German military aristocrats but didn’t really seem to enjoy his childhood in the lap of luxury. He was also responsible for what probably ranks as the most embarrassing prison break in New Zealand history. He single-handedly saved his hometown from destruction during WWII.Īnd he punched a member of the Gestapo straight in the face. He sailed three thousand kilometers across the Pacific in a lifeboat. He captained the last square rigged sailing ship ever to be used in combat. He fought in the biggest naval battle of the First World War. He was a child of aristocracy who ran away to sea. Portrait of Count Felix Von Luckner Photo: Public Domainįelix Von Luckner led a very interesting life.
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