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African Soldiers in the
Cameroon Schutztruppe 1894-1916 |
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Figure 1
Schutztruppe Soldier |
Figure 2
Schutztruppe
Musician |
Figure 3
Schutztruppe Medic |
Figure 4
Schutztruppe Soldier |
Figure 5
Schutztruppe
Mounted Feldwebel |
Uniforms of African Soldiers in
the Cameroon Schutztruppe
From the formation of the Cameroon Schutztruppe until their surrender
and disbandment in 1916 the uniforms of the African other ranks remained mostly unchanged.
Khaki Uniform
The uniform most commonly seen in photographs of the Cameroon
Schutztruppe consisted of a short khaki tunic without pockets and five (or sometimes only
four) plain white metal buttons fastening the front. It had a khaki stand and fall collar with red
edging and a red Litzen style bar in the centre (see below) The cuffs
had a red chevron, while the shoulder straps were plain khaki. Rank insignia was shown in the from of
red chevrons of the upper left arm as worn by the Askaris of German East
Africa (see NCO Rank Insignia Page).
Musicians wore swallows nests on their shoulder (see
Specialist Insignia Page) but no
other specialist insignia was worn by the African soldiers of the
Cameroon Schutztruppe. This uniform was worn in action, on parade and
for most duties. In the First World War this uniform caused confusion as
the invading French Senegalese Tirailleurs
also wore khaki uniforms with a red fez.
Fatigue Uniform
African
soldiers in Cameroon were also issued a fatigue dress made up of a white
naval style shirt (which was also usually worn beneath the khaki tunic) and
matching white three-quarter length white trousers. The shirt had short
sleeves, a blue edging
on the square collar and three horizontal blue stripes on the chest. No
rank or specialist insignia was worn on this uniform. This uniform was also worn by the
Polizeitruppe on the Marshall and Caroline Islands of the German
Pacific colonies.
White Uniform
One contemporary illustration by Krickel (see
Illustrated Plates Page), shows a Cameroon Schutztruppe soldier in
the early 1890's wearing a white tropical uniform with a standing collar
with the imperial colours along the edge, very similar to that worn by
the German
East African Askaris for a brief period about the same time. So far
I have seen no photographs of this uniform in use in Cameroon.
Headdress
The headdress consisted of a
rolled red felt fez with a white metal imperial eagle
(see below) and a blue/black tassel, both of which seem to have
been removed from the fez in some cases.
A few photographs show
Cameroon troops wearing a tarbush with a khaki cover and neckshade with
or without a white metal imperial eagle on the front (as worn by the
German East African Askaris).
The tarbushes may have been worn by the Sudanese askaris recruited for
service in Cameroon in the early 1890s. The Sudanese troops proved to be unsuited to
Cameroon's damp tropical climate and were soon withdrawn from service.
Footwear
Initial
issues of puttees for the African troops were in dark blue/grey but later issues were grey.
Most African soldiers in the Cameroon Schutztruppe wore brown leather boots but some went barefoot
either due to shortage or out of preference.
Senior NCO Uniforms
An African Sergeant Major ("Feldwebel") in the Cameroon Schutztruppe and
Polizeitruppe was uniquely entitled to wear the uniform of a German NCO-
a four pocketed 1896 khaki tunic and trousers, both piped in blue (see
Schutztruppe
1896 Khaki Tunic Details Page) with a regulation Südwester slouch
hat with a large imperial cockade and the hatband and piping in red for
Cameroon (see Südwester Hats Details Page).
The African Sergeant Majors did however still wear their rank chevrons
in red rather than the silver used by German NCOs.
Equipment
From their formation, the African soldiers of the Schutztruppe
carried 1871/84 model ammunition pouches on brown leather equipment with
a plain brass belt buckle (see below). By 1914 these had mostly been
replaced with 1909 model ammunition pouches again in brown leather. The
African soldiers of the Cameroon Schutztruppe were also issued with the
same backpack, bread bag, water bottle and tent quarter or blanket as
were the troops of the regular German army, but most photographs of them
show them wearing much less equipment. Some photographs show show
soldiers of the Cameroon Schutztruppe wearing bandoliers of ammunition
pouches rather than pouches on their belts.
The mounted units of the Cameroon
Schutztruppe wore the same uniforms as the dismounted troops, but their
equipment was of the type issued to the mounted Schutztruppe of German
South West Africa (see below) but worn with the straps crossing the
chest. The other ranks in Cameroon's mounted detachments
carried a lance with a two pointed pennant in Imperial colours (see
below).
Weapons
The
African soldiers of the Cameroon Schutztruppe were initially issued
with the Jägerbüsche 71 rifle but by 1914 most had been issued the
Karbine 98. Some Karbine 88s and Gewehr 98s were also issued. Bayonets
were initially the S71/84 model but later issues were of the kS98 model.
Each company was also issued with at least one Maxim machine gun by
1914.
The Illustrations
| Figure 1 is based on a
photograph
of a Schutztruppe Soldier. This illustration shows the typical appearance
of Cameroon Schutztruppe soldiers from their formation in 1894
until 1916 as described above. By 1914 most native soldiers wore
grey puttees and the 1909 model ammunition pouches and equipment
in brown leather as seen here. Figure 2 is based on a
Schutztruppe Musician probably taken either during the First
World War or shortly before its outbreak. Musicians of the Cameroon
Schutztruppe wore
traditional German army swallows nests in khaki and red or red and
white (see Specialist Insignia
Page) on their
shoulders and (as can be seen by his Mauser 98 Carbine) fought as riflemen in
action. As with most African Cameroon soldiers by 1914 he wears brown leather
equipment including 1909 ammunition pouches with a plain brass belt
buckle (see right).
Figure 3 is based on a
photograph of a Schutztruppe Medic taken in action during the
First World War. He wears the same uniform as the
soldiers described above but with the tassel and possibly the eagle removed
from his fez as sometimes happened in action. He also wears a red cross armband
to distinguish him as a medic or stretcher bearer. Such armbands were worn by
stretcher bearers and medics in all colonies.
Figure 4 is based on a pre-war photograph of a Schutztruppe Soldier wearing fatigue dress made up of a white naval style vest
and trousers (as described above).
The vest had a blue edging on the collar and three horizontal blue stripes on
the chest. Other photographs show this uniform being worn under the khaki tunic
or on other occasions with no khaki tunic and only the white top
and khaki trousers. Again this solider carries M1909 ammunition
pouches and a Karbine 98. In the original
photograph, this Cameroon solider appears next to the musician in Fig 2.
Figure 5 is based on a
photograph of a Mounted Schutztruppe Feldwebel. As described above
African Sergeant Majors in Cameroon wore the same uniform as their German
counterparts rather than the plainer tunic worn by native other ranks. They wore the blue piped khaki tunic and trousers (see
below) with a regulation
Südwester slouch hat with the hatband and
piping in red for Cameroon (see also
Südwester Hats Details Page).
Note the style of ammunition pouches as worn by the Schutztruppe of German South
West Africa (see below) but worn in Cameroon style with the straps crossing the
chest. Note also the leather gaiters (worn by mounted officers and senior NCOs
in Cameroon- other ranks wore short brown boots and puttees) and rifle bucket used by
most mounted troops in the colonies. |
Cameroon Fez
(See Imperial War Museum
Collection Page)
IWM Collection
Details of the Collar Lace
African Soldier's Buckle
(See
Belt Buckles
Details Page)
Photo Copyright Doppler |
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