Officers Personal Equipment
of the Schutztruppe and Overseas Forces

German officers were not expected to carry their own equipment such as back packs, tent sections and rations on campaign. This was usually done by their African porters. They usually carried as little as possible on their person, a pistol holster and binoculars most often. Silk covered belts were proscribed for most German officers on parade but in the colonies leather belts and Sam Brown shoulder straps were more usually worn.
 

  
 
     

 

  
  Silk Waist Belts
Officers of the Prussian army wore silk covered belts with two stripes of lace in the Prussian colours- white with black stripes. Officers of the Bavarian army wore white silk belts with blue stripes, Saxon officers wore belts with green stripes, Hessian officers had red stripes and so forth. Officers of the Schutztruppe, Navy, Marine Infantry and East Asian Occupation Brigade wore the Prussian belt but with the addition of a central red stripe to make up the Imperial colours.

Up until 1901 the East Asian Expeditionary Corps wore state variations on their belts with Prussian officers belts white and black as described above, Bavarians with white and blue, Saxons with white and green and Württembergers in the same white, black and red as the Imperial officers. From 1901 all East Asian officers wore silk belts in Imperial Colours.

These belts were not practical in the field and were often replaced with leather belts sometimes retaining the same officers belt buckle or with Sam Brown belts as described below.

  
         
     


Leutnant Eggers
South West African Schutztruppe
Eggers was a career Schutztruppe officer who had been in service for over a decade before he was killed at the outbreak of the Herero Rebellion in 1904. In this photograph he wears the 1891 uniform with its notable standing collar. He wears it with parade aiguillettes, his officers sword and the short lived corduroy kepi. He wears the officers silk waist belt with Imperial colour threads.
 Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv 


Georg von Glasenapp
 Commander of the II. Seebataillon c1904
Glasenapp commanded the Marine Expeditionskorps in the South West Africa during the Herero Rebellion. He wears the dark blue home uniform of the Marine Infantry with an impressive medal display including the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle third class with bow and swords, the China Campaign Medal and the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun fourth class. He wears the officers silk waist belt with Imperial colour threads.
 Photo © Joe Robinson
 


Leutnant,
East Asian Infantry Regiment c1901-02
He wears the 1900 field grey uniform with matching Pickelhaube. Note the chevron worn by all officers and NCOs of the East Asian Occupation Brigade on his left arm. He wears the officers silk waist belt with Imperial colour threads.
Photo © Joe Robinson


Naval Officers Belt and Buckle
Photo © Doppler Collection

     
  Sam Brown Belts
The lace belts were impractical on active service and were usually replaced with either plain leather belts retaining the same officers belt buckle or with Sam Brown style belts by officers of most overseas forces. The Sam Brown belt was a waist belt supported by a shoulder strap worn across the chest. They could be worn from either shoulder. A minimum of equipment was usually carried on them, some times a pistol or binocular case. As these items were privately purchased small variations in style and manufacture were seen. 		 
     
     


Major Lagiewsky
South West African Schutztruppe, 1914
He wears the 1896 Schutztruppe khaki uniform with corduroy field cap. He wears the Sam Brown style belt from the left shoulder with a small pistol.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv 


Major Franke
South West African Schutztruppe
The last commander of the South West African Schutztruppe wears the 1896 Schutztruppe khaki uniform with field cap. He wears the Prussian Pour-le-Merite medal at his throat. He has his right arm in a sling from an injury though wears his Sam Brown style belt on the injured shoulder.
 Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv 


Major Bethe
South West African Schutztruppe, 1915
This photograph shows Major Botha Bethe attending the surrender of the Schutztruppe at Korab on the 9th of July 1915. He wears the 1896 Schutztruppe khaki uniform with Südwester hat. This photograph shows the rear of the Sam Brown style belt, again worn over the left shoulder.
 Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv 
     
     
 

Other Variations
By their very nature, officers privately purchased uniforms and equipment varied in detail from each other. Officers also had a highly individual sense of uniform on campaign. Below are a few examples of irregular equipment worn by officers in the African colonies.

  
     
     


Oberst Berthold Deimling
South West African Schutztruppe c1905
 At the time this photo was taken c1905, Deimling was commander of the the Schutztruppe's 2. Feldregiment, he later commanded the South West African Schutztruppe 1906-07. He wears the 1896 khaki uniform with corduroy field cap. Note the braided shoulder straps with two pips for colonel or Oberst. His equipment consists of a leather waist belt with an open buckle, carrying a small pistol holster and what is probably a privately purchased single ammunition pouch on his left.
 Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv
Officer
East African Schutztruppe c1917
This officer wears the 1913 tropical helmet, a plain shirt and cut off short trousers. He has only a leather belt and binoculars, as was commonly carried by officers on campaign. He may also have a pistol holster out of view.
 Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv
Effendi
East African Schutztruppe c1900
 This Effendi or African officer wears the officers 1896 khaki tunic and a red fez. He has a sword held on a leather belt with the officers buckle as usually seen on the silk belt and possibly a stripe of the silk belt vertically to the side of the buckle.
 Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

 
     


Please contact me here if you have more information or photos on this topic. 

Back to Main Menu for German Colonial Uniforms