Figure 1
Mounted NCO

Figure 2
Officer

Figure 3
NCO

Figure 4
Officer

Figure 5
Reservist

In Cameroon tropical helmets and Südwester slouch hats were seen worn side by side regardless of rank. This NCO wears the regulation Südwester slouch hat, with piping and hatband in red for Cameroon (see also Südwester Details Page). As a mounted trooper this NCO wears riding breeches with riding boots as commonly seen in German South West Africa. Riding breeches in grey/brown corduroy were also issued.

Across his right breast this NCO wears a sharpshooter's decoration in the form of a twisted black/white/red lanyard as worn in the regular German army. His NCO rank would have been displayed on his left sleeve as inverted silver chevrons on a blue backing (see NCO Rank Insignia Page).

This trooper is armed with the 1888 "Komission" Carbine and has the old 1895 ammunition pouches. Most of the Schutztruppe of Cameroon had been issued with the newer Mauser 1898 Carbine and 1909 pattern pouches by in 1914. The brown leather belt is fastened by a Schutztruppe other ranks belt buckle (see right).

Figure 2 is based on a photograph of a typical German Schutztruppe Officer taken after the outbreak of war in 1914. He wears a regulation tropical helmet with a small black/white/red cockade (see below right) which appears to be missing its officers silver cord around the hatband. The tunic is again the regulation M1896 khaki tropical uniform piped in blue but with officers black/silver/red braided shoulder straps (see Officers Rank Insignia Page). The khaki trousers are tucked into brown leather boots and gaiters as commonly worn by officers. He is armed lightly with a pistol and one row of M1909 ammunition pouches.

Figure 3 is based on photograph of a German Schutztruppe NCO in shirt-sleeve order taken during the First World War. His tropical helmet is the regulation issue with black/white/red cockade and other ranks twisted black/white/red braid around the hatband, likewise his trousers are Schutztruppe issue, in this case without blue piping down the seams. The shirt may or may not be standard Schutztruppe issue. In the heat of Cameroon many Germans were seen wearing shirts without tunics. He is armed with a M98 carbine and carries  M1909 ammunition pouches. Later in the campaign with supplies running short the Schutztruppe were increasingly seen in casual slouch hats and non-regulation and sometimes captured tropical helmets. Likewise their uniforms tend to become less and less regulation with civilian dress in evidence.

Figure 4 is based on a photograph of a German Schutztruppe Officer taken in 1915 or early 1916 towards the end of the First World War campaign in Cameroon. He wears the regulation officer's grey peaked field cap with hatband and piping in red for Cameroon and a small Imperial cockade on the front. His uniform is the same M1896 khaki uniform as worn by other figures on this page except that he is most unusually wearing the white shoes from his peacetime white tropical uniform in the field.

Figure 5 is based on a wartime photograph of a German Reservist (Landsturmann). Similarly to the reservists in most other colonies he wears little of official issue with most of their kit being supplied by supplied by the reservists themselves. Cameroon failed to make the most of its reservists in the First World War by not being able to arm or equip them sufficiently.

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