Display of German Colonial Headdress at the Wehrgeschichtliches Museum, Rastatt

This is a Schutztruppe officers tropical helmet as authorised for the Schutztruppe of East Africa (and later Cameroon) in the uniform regulations of 4th June 1891. It is a tall cork/pith helmet covered in white cloth. It has a Pickelhaube style spike and an imperial eagle with spread wings above a small imperial cockade. Around the hatband are two bands of yellow metallic lace, as worn only by officers. The spike was only worn on parade and was then replaced with a white ventilation pommel. The eagle was also removable for active service. A khaki cover could be worn over the helmet in the field in which case the cockade was worn on the front of the cover.

The spike and eagle were discarded from tropical helmets in the uniform regulations of 19th November 1896.

This is an other ranks Südwester hat as worn by the Schutztruppe of South West Africa. It is made of grey felt with hatband and edging in blue ribbon (for South West Africa). The right side of the hat is pinned up with a large imperial cockade.

Note that the central red section of the cockade is unusually large. Most other examples seen have a more balanced distribution of red, white and black.

This is a red felt rolled fez as worn by African other ranks of the Togo Polizeitruppe from 1891 until 1914, although it was partially replaced by a peaked cap from about 1910. The same style of rolled fez was also worn by African other ranks of the Cameroon Polizeitruppe and Schutztruppe.

Curiously the imperial eagle on this fez has standing wings, as opposed to the spread wings design usually seen on fezzes worn in Togo. The tassel has also been tied around the base of the red tip of the fez. Usually the tassel would emerge from the tip.

This is a typical other ranks Bortfeldt 1902 khaki tropical helmet as issued to the III. Seebataillon in Tsingtao. Note the removable khaki neckshade. Similar helmets were issued to other Marine Infantry units serving in hot climates.

It has a yellow metal imperial naval eagle on the front. Both the anchor points from under the eagles talons appear to have broken off. The helmet has also lost its small imperial cockade from the from of the hatband.

On the underside of the helmet can been seen an issue stamp- "B.A.O. 1902" for the East Asian Uniform Depot - "Bekleidung Amt Ost-Asien").

The museum caption for this tropical helmet describes it as one belonging to the East Asian Pioneers. It does not however have the appearance of one. The East Asian Pioneer helmet would be a Bortfeldt helmet (see the Seebataillon helmet above) with a white metal imperial eagle and a black hatband edged in red. A similar pioneers helmet was on display at the Rastatt museum several years ago.

This helmet looks more like a 1913 Schutztruppe NCOs helmet from East Africa or Cameroon. The Schutztruppe uniform regulations of 29th December 1913 authorised a lower style of helmet than previously used with a twisted cord in the imperial colours for NCOs and a small imperial cockade at the front, as seen here. The 1913 helmet was authorised in khaki, this helmet is however covered in white cloth.

This is an other ranks Pickelhaube as authorised for the East Asian Expeditionary Corps (and later Occupation Brigade) on 9th February 1901.

It has a yellow metal spike and imperial eagle and a brown leather chinstrap. Usually an imperial cockade would be worn under the right side chinstrap boss, but it is missing on this example. The helmet itself is made of field grey felt. Unusually on this example the front and rear peaks are also made of the same felt. Other examples of the 1900 East Asian helmet seen in period photographs and private collections all have leather peaks, front and back.