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Almost all headgear worn by German officers and other ranks of the
Schutztruppe and other overseas forces displayed a cockade in the
imperial colours- black/white/red (from the outside inwards) in some
format. These cockades varied in size and quality depending on the
type of headgear worn and rank. While other ranks cockades were
quite plain, privately purchased officers, senior NCOs and one year
volunteers cockades were often more elaborate with white
being replaced by white metal, the pattern of the cockade being
raised or decorated and sometimes additional rings of colour added.
Small cockades were worn
on the front of field caps worn by all branches of service, naval
caps, tropical helmets worn by the Schutztruppe, Polizeitruppe and
Seebatallione and on the Südwester hats of the South West African
Landespolizei.
Large cockades with
serrated edges were worn
on the right hand side of the Schutztruppe Südwester hat, the East
Asian Expeditionary Corps straw hat and the East Asian Occupation
Brigade and Asienkorps tropical helmets.
Large imperial cockades
were also worn under the right side chinstrap boss of the Pickelhaube and Jäger-style shako, when these items were worn.
The spiked helmet or Pickelhaube was worn by East African Schutztruppe
on home duties between 1891-96 and by East Asian troops. The Jäger -style shako was worn by
East Asian Jäger and train troops and by the Seebatallione (although the Seebatallion shakos seem not to have the chinstrap
boss cockade). Removable oval cockades were also worn on the front
of Jäger-style shakos (and Uhlan Tschapkas and Hussar busbies in the
regular imperial army).
Troops from the regular
army (including the East Asian Expeditionary Corps, the Asienkorps
and individual army officers seconded to colonies) wore state cockades in addition to the imperial
cockade. These state cockades were worn below the imperial cockade
on the field cap, Südwester and East Asian Expeditionary Corps straw
hat. On the Pickelhaube and Jäger-style shako they were worn under
the left hand side chinstrap boss. On Jäger-style shakos they also
replaced the oval cockade worn on the front where applicable. The different colours
for state cockades are described below. The Schutztruppe,
Polizeitruppe, East Asian Occupation Brigade, Seebatallione and navy
did not wear state cockades.
This page shows a
selection of different cockades as worn by the German colonial and
overseas troops. Please respect the owners'
generosity in sharing these photos with us by not reproducing them
without prior permission.
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