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Photo
© Peter Klein
This is a posed photograph taken in Berlin, Germany in the Summer of
1900, prior to the deployment of the Expeditionary Corps to China. It
shows Musiker G. Heim, a bugler of the 3rd
East Asian Infantry Regt ("3.
Ostasiatische Infanterie Regiment").
He wears the
East Asian Expeditionary Corps Khaki Uniform,
consisting of a dyed yellowish-khaki tunic ("Drillichrock")
with a standing collar, six buttons to fasten the front, one left
breast pocket and two hip pockets. His shoulder straps are white and a
red stylised regimental number 3 can be seen. His status as a
musician is shown by the coloured swallows nests on his shoulder,
while his rank as an Unteroffizier (equivalent to
a Corporal) can be determined from the lace on
his collar.
He wears a medal on
his left breast, probably the Prussian Wilhelm I Centenary
Medal, awarded to all members of the Prussian army in 1897. It
hangs on a yellow ribbon which appears darker in this photograph
due to the orthochromatic film used at the time.
He wears the straw hat
which was standard summer wear for the first batch of the
Expeditionary Corps to be sent to China. It is held up on the left hand side with a
large imperial cockade above a smaller
black/white/black Prussian cockade. The straw hat was supposed to be
worn like the Schutztruppe Südwester, held up on the right hand side,
although it is not uncommon to see soldiers wearing theirs the wrong
way around. Note the adjustable
leather chinstrap.
His yellow-khaki trousers
are worn tucked into black leather marching boots. The equipment
is in black leather with a belt buckle bearing the
Prussian crown and the motto "Gott Mit Uns". A
pistol, probably an 1879 or 1883 Reichsrevolver is at his right side
and a long S98 bayonet
can be seen at his left side. He has a bag carried by a strap over his
left shoulder.
Detail of the same Photograph
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generosity of Peter Klein in sharing this photograph with us by not reproducing it
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