Figure 1 Polizei Unteroffizier Schutztruppe Khaki Uniform c1896-1905	Figure 2 Diensttuender Polizeiwachtmeister Service Uniform c1907-14	Figure 3 Polizeiwachtmeister Service Uniform c1907-14	Figure 4 Polizeisergeant White Uniform c1907-14	Figure 5 Polizeidiener African Police Auxiliary c1907-14

Uniforms of the German South West African Police

Schutztruppe on Police Duties Prior to 1905
Before the formation of the Landespolizei, Schutztruppe personnel on police duties wore standard Schutztruppe uniforms (in Khaki or Corduroy) with a red sash over the right shoulder (although some photographs show it worn on the left shoulder).

Landespolizei 1905-07
From the initial formation of the South West African Landespolizei in 1905 until the introduction of the 1907 uniform, the police were authorised to wear Schutztruppe uniforms with white metal buttons and red piping rather than the Schutztruppe blue. Shoulder straps were plain red. On the Südwester and peaked field cap hatbands and piping were in also red. The red police sash as described above was also initially authorised although it was gradually discarded.

Sergeants were distinguished by having a white metallic lace band on the collar and cuffs. Wachtmeisters wore a double band of lace on the collar and cuffs and had a white metal imperial eagle badge on the shoulder straps.

Source- "Vom Niemandsland zum Ordnungsstaat" (Berlin 1930) by Hans Rafalski

Rafalski also states that the Swedish style cuffs (presumably on the Corduroy Uniform and the Home Uniforms, if applicable) were of the tunic colour, except in the case of Wachtmeisters who initially wore red cuffs, but later reverted to tunic coloured cuffs as worn by the other ranks.

Landespolizei 1907-15
Dark Khaki Uniform
On 28th September 1907 a new uniform was authorised for the Landespolizei. It was made in a distinctive khaki brown, darker than that of the Schutztruppe, with six crowned brass buttons (see below) down the front. It had slightly sloped, pleated breast pockets and straight unpleated hip pockets, all with brass buttons. The stand and fall collar was green as were the shoulder straps. The trousers matched the uniform and were usually piped in green, although riding breeches (sometimes in corduroy) were also commonly worn.

Rank insignia was shown in the form of lace on the shoulder straps, pips on the collar and green looped bars on the cuffs, although the cuff insignia was often omitted (see below for full rank insignia details). As with Schutztruppe uniforms, Landespolizei officers often wore tunics with slight variations in cut due to private tailoring.

The Landespolizei did not have a home uniform for wear in Germany. In fact, they were not authorised to wear their Landespolizei uniforms in Germany at all except for special occasions such as the Kaiser's birthday parades. Apart from such exceptions, when home in Germany they wore civilian dress.

White Uniform
A white tropical uniform was also authorised for wear by the Landespolizei. It was of the same cut as that for the Schutztruppe (without the Schutztruppe blue piping or shoulder straps) but worn with Landespolizei insignia- crowned brass buttons, rank pips on the collar (see below for rank insignia details) and green shoulder straps (with rank insignia). Matching white trousers and shoes could also be worn.

Schutztruppe Uniforms
Members of the Schutztruppe transferred to the Landespolizei were authorised to wear their old Schutztruppe Kord Litewkas again with Landespolizei insignia.

Headdress
A Südwester hat (see below) was introduced for the Landespolizei along with the 1907 uniform. It was made from brown felt with a hatband was of a paler shade of khaki and a small imperial cockade at the front. The brim of the hat was held up on the right-hand side with a brass imperial crown badge (see below right). This crown was often enlarged by private tailors on officers hats.

A Peaked Field Cap was worn by all ranks when not wearing the Südwester. It was of a matching colour to the 1907 uniform with hatband and piping in green and chinstrap and peak in black leather. A small imperial cockade was worn in the centre of the hatband. Like most German peaked caps it was issued with a wire retaining loop that held the shape of the top of the hat.  

A Tropical Helmet was authorised to be worn only by the Landespolizei serving in the diamond mining are South of Lüderitzbucht. The Landespolizei tropical helmet was white with a brass imperial crown (as worn on the Südwester hat) above a small imperial cockade.

Footwear
Brown leather boots were worn with matching gaiters by most Landespolizei, although some photographs show the trousers being worn loose over the boots.

Personal Equipment
The usual personal equipment worn by the Landespolizei was in brown leather and consisted of a bandolier of eight ammunition pouches (each holding a clip of five rounds, the shells of which protruded from the lower side of the pouch) worn over the shoulder, Sam Brown style. Some photographs show the Landespolizei with bandoliers worn over the opposite shoulder and some show the bandolier could be worn independently without the belt. The Sam Browne style belt could also be worn without the ammunition pouches. At least one photograph shows the Landespolizei wearing Schutztruppe equipment and ammunition pouches (see Schutztruppe Mounted Equipment Page).

Weapons
The Landespolizei were armed mainly with Roth-Sauer pistols (although other pistols were also issued) and Mauser M98 rifles and carbines. Bayonets were not issued to the Landespolizei. Unlike in the Schutztruppe, ranks as low as Sergeant were permitted to carry a sword. The sword was not worn in action or on active service.
Recommended External Link- Article on Traditionsverband on Landespolizei Swords

Landespolizei African Auxiliaries
Unlike the Schutztruppe in South West Africa, the Landespolizei regularly recruited Africans into their ranks. These fully trained police constables were known as known as "Polizeidiener". Initially they wore Schutztruppe uniforms stripped of insignia with a red sash over the right shoulder (see African Auxiliaries Page), later Landespolizei uniforms were issued with a red armband with "LP" in white lettering on the left arm. While some African Polizeidiener appear in period photographs in immaculately kept uniforms others seem to be wearing less well kept second hand uniforms.

Africans also served with the Landespolizei as "Bambusen" or officers servants and batmen. They too usually wore second hand uniforms stripped of insignia but without the "LP" armband. These men were not trained or armed police and were not officially part of the police force.

Schutztruppe Officers and Officials attached to the Landespolizei 1907-14
In addition to police personnel, there were about a dozen Schutztruppe Officers attached to the Landespolizei to oversee military matters and training. These officers wore Schutztruppe uniform and rank insignia. There were also three junior paymasters ("Unterzahlmeister") attached to the Landespolizei, they also wore the uniform of a colonial paymaster rather than that of the Landespolizei.

Fig A Polizist	Fig B Polizeisergeant	Fig C Polizeiwachtmeister	Fig D Diensttuende Polizeiwachtmeister

Rank insignia for the Landespolizei consisted of brass pips (four pointed square stars positioned diagonally, known as "Stern") on the collars, lace on the shoulder straps and looped green lace bars "Abzeichenschnur" on the cuffs of the uniform. Many Landespolizei did not wear the green bars on the cuffs, in period photographs it is usually only seen on those posted in or near Windhoek.  

Figure A- The "Polizist" or German police constable and "Polizeidiener" or African police servicemen had no pips on the collar, a plain green shoulder strap and no green bars on the cuff.

Figure B- The "Polizeisergeant" had one brass pip on the collar, a plain green shoulder strap and one looped green bar on the cuff (as mentioned above the cuff bars were not always worn). Most of the Landespolizei was made up of Police Sergeants, who were considered as colonial officials ("Beamte") and whose rank was equal to that of a Schutztruppe Sergeant.

Figure C- The "Polizeiwachtmeister" had two brass pips on the collar, a thin strip of gold coloured lace edging the green shoulder strap and two bars on the cuff. The Wachtmeisters were mostly older and more experienced than the Sergeants and were often in charge of small police stations and in such positions were known as the Station Elder ("Stationsälteste"). It is reported by an eyewitness (Polizeiassisten Hans Rafalski) that only the Stationsälteste wore the two bars of lace on the cuffs, whereas other Wachtmeisters only wore one, though this has not been proven yet in photographs, partly because so few of the Landespolizei wore the green cuff bars at all.

Figure D- The "Diensttuende Polizeiwachtmeister" had three brass pips on the collar, a thick band of gold coloured lace with threads of red and black edging the green shoulder strap and one green bar above a gold lace bar on the cuff. There were only a few Diensttuender Polizeiwachtmeister. Each commanded a "Beritt" made up of an area containing several smaller police stations. The Diensttuender Polizeiwachtmeister also often served as the substitute head of civil administration for his area.

The senior police officers ("Polizeiassistent") in the Landespolizei wore civilian dress and therefore did not display rank insignia. There were four or five Polizeiassistenten in German South West Africa in 1914, one first class (Polizeiassistent I. Klasse Hans Rafalski, the head of the police school in Windhoek) and the rest second class Polizeiassistent.

The Last Landespolizei Uniforms
In August 1914 the majority of the Landespolizei were incorporated into the Schutztruppe and issued Schutztruppe uniforms. Only a few remained to serve as police in their 1907 uniforms in the North of the colony until the surrender of German South West Africa in 1915. The Landespolizei uniform was however worn after August 1914 by other units- the South African Free Corps Boer rebels that sided with the Schutztruppe of German South West Africa in 1914, the Afghan Mission of 1916 led by Oskar Ritter von Niedermayer and from 1929 up until the Second World War by the mounted police of Bremen with whom the tradition of the old Landespolizei was entrusted.

Special thanks for help on this page goes to Sven Schepp who has been researching the Landespolizei for many years and is soon to publish a book on the subject. More details on the book will follow on this website.