This is a photograph of a
unit of the German East African
Polizeitruppe taken in East Africa probably sometime between 1900
and 1914. It shows them firing four artillery pieces. The guns appear
to be
7.85 cm Leichte Feldgeschutz C73, of which there were
twelve in
East Africa in 1914, all under Schutztruppe command.
The askaris are wearing
standard uniform for the East African Polizeitruppe of this period
(see close-ups below). They wore the same uniform khaki tarbush
and uniform with blue-grey puttees and brown leather boots and
equipment as the Schutztruppe askaris but were distinguished by a
white oval patch with a red letter P, worn on the upper left arm and a
noticeably larger eagle worn on the front of the tarbush headdress
made of yellow metal rather than the Schutztruppe's white metal. Tunic
buttons for the Polizeitruppe were also yellow metal.
Note the German NCO on the far
right of the group (see close-up below). He is wearing a regulation
white tropical helmet, which would have had small imperial
cockade and from 1906 onwards, a small brass imperial eagle. His tunic is the standard white tropical tunic,
similar to the Schutztruppe 1896 white tunic but without the piping,
and with brass buttons. His shoulder straps display his rank and would
be edged in Polizeitruppe red. He wears matching white trousers and
shoes. His belt appears to be similar to that worn by Schutztruppe
officers, in braided silk with stripes of facing colour. This may have
been in the same imperial colours as the Schutztruppe. From the belt
he carries a sword as authorised for all German NCOs in the East
African Polizeitruppe.
Please respect the
generosity of
Karsten Herzogenrath in sharing this photograph with us by not reproducing it
without prior permission.
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