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Figure 1 is based on a
photograph
of an NCO of the 4th (Saxon) Company of the 5th East Asian Infantry Regiment of the East
Asian Expeditionary Corps taken in China in 1901 wearing the new khaki summer
uniform. This new
uniform had a stand and fall collar, concealed buttons down the front,
two slightly sloped breast pockets and two straight hip pockets all
also with concealed buttons.
The shoulder straps were khaki with white
piping for the Infantry and had the regimental number embroidered in red. Cavalry
shoulder straps were khaki with red piping, artillery had red piping
with an embroidered red flaming grenade, pioneers had red piping with
a stylised red letter P, train had blue piping shoulder straps and
medical staff had dark blue piping.
NCOs rank (in this case a Sergeant) is shown in the form of white lace with red and black
threads around the bottom edge of the collar (see below right) and a single
large brass
collar button (see NCO Rank Insignia page). A single chevron of similar lace
was
worn on the left upper sleeve NCOs of all ranks on the new East Asian
uniforms. NCOs did not display rank lace on the cuffs of the new
khaki uniform. Officer's rank on the new
khaki and field grey uniforms was shown in the usual way, as worn by
the army, Marine Infantry and Schutztruppe, with braided shoulder
straps and pips (see Officers Rank Insignia page).
A khaki tropical helmet was also
introduced to replace the straw hat, which was gradually phased out
although some have been seen in photographs after 1901 without the state cockade. The
new tropical helmet (see above right) was of the naval pattern with
a folding rear visor and a detachable neckshade. It had a brass
imperial eagle on the front and a large imperial cockade on the right
side, and a hatband in arm of service colours (in this case white for
infantry. Cavalry and staff had red, artillery and pioneers had a black
band with red edging, medical staff had a dark blue hatband with red
piping and the train company wore a curious style of tropical helmet
in the shape of a Jäger shako- see below right). Helmets are also sometimes seen without the cockades and
hatbands. For parade purposes a pickelhaube-like spike could be worn
on top of the tropical helmet.
The old plain khaki field cap with a detachable
khaki neckshade, brown leather peak and chinstrap as worn by the East
Asian Expeditionary Corps and III. Seebatallion in summer was retained
with this new khaki uniform. It had a small imperial cockade on the
front of the hatband and no arm of service coloured hatband or piping.
No state cockades were worn with this new uniform. As opposed to the
East Asian Expeditionary Corps which was made up of units from the
various Kingdoms and Duchies of Imperial Germany, the new East Asian
Occupation Brigade was an imperial unit and thus wore no state
distinctions. |
East Asian Tropical Helmet
(See
Tropical Helmets Details Page)
Photo Copyright Doppler
East Asian Khaki Uniform
(See IWM Collection Page)
East Asian NCO Tunic Collar Lace
(See IWM Collection Page) |
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Figure 2 is based on a
photograph
of an Infantryman of the 2nd East Asian Infantry Regiment taken in China
in about
1905. Starting in 1901, a new field grey winter uniform was introduced
to replace the old blue Litewkas worn by the Easy Asian Expeditionary
Corps. In many ways this uniforms was ahead of its time and has
more in common with the wartime M1915 uniform than the obsolete dark blue worn
by the regular German Army back home in this period. Like the khaki uniform it had a
stand and fall collar, four pockets and concealed buttons. Unlike the
khaki uniform it was piped in red (for all arms of service) down the front, around the collars
and plain turn back cuffs and down the trouser seam. The rear skirts of the field grey tunic were
also piped in red.
The shoulder straps for this field grey uniform were in arm of service colour,
in this case white for infantry with the regimental number in red.
Cavalry shoulder straps were red, artillery had red straps with an
embroidered yellow flaming grenade, pioneers had red straps with a
stylised letter P, the train company had blue shoulder straps and
medical staff had dark blue straps piped in red).
Spiked helmets ("Pickelhaube")
were worn with the field grey uniform. They were made of field grey
pressed felt (like later Ersatz helmets would be during the
First World War), with a brass imperial eagle (white metal for
general staff and pioneers) of the same design as worn
on the tropical helmet (see right) and brass (or white metal) fittings. An imperial
(black/white/red) cockade was worn on the left hand side under the
chinstrap boss, no cockade was worn on the right side. Cavalry wore similar helmets but with a squared visor
as opposed to the rounded one seen here worn by infantry and pioneers.
Artillery wore a ball top instead of a spike as in the regular
imperial army.
Personal equipment for the East Asian
Occupation force was polished black leather held at the front with a
plain belt buckle without buckle plate. |
East Asian Helmet Eagle
(See
Tropical Helmets Details Page)
Photo Copyright Doppler |
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Figure 3 is based on a
photograph
of a private soldier of the East Asian Train Company taken in Germany. Transport troops
wore wore
a Jäger style shako with an oval imperial cockade at the top, in similar field grey felt
to the East Asian Pickelhaube with a brass imperial eagle and
an imperial cockade under the left chin strap boss.
He wears the same East Asian field grey
uniform as the pervious figure with concealed buttons and red piping.
As a member of the Train Company he wears blue shoulder straps as
described above.
With their khaki tropical uniform the
Train Company wore a unique style of tropical helmet. Made of cork
covered in khaki cloth, it had the helmet shape of the Jäger shako but
the brim shape and top ventilation bobble of the normal tropical
helmet. It had two ventilation holes on either side edged with a brass
ring and the regular brass imperial eagle on the front (see right).
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Train Company Tropical helmet
(Drawn from one in a private collection) |
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Figure 4 is based on a
photograph
of a Cavalry NCO of the East Asian Jäger zu Pferd taken in 1901. The
Officers and Senior NCOs' tunics varied from the other ranks in that
they had pleated patch pockets with pointed flaps piped in red. Shoulder straps
are red for cavalry as described above.
The field grey peaked field cap had red
piping around the upper edge (for all arms of service) and a hatband
in arm of service colours- red for cavalry and general staff, white
for infantry, black hatbands edged in red for artillery and pioneers,
blue for the train company and dark blue hatbands with red edging for
medical staff.
NCO rank was displayed on the field grey
uniform by means of lace on the collar and cuffs in imperial colours and buttons on
the collar (see NCO Rank Insignia
page). A single lace chevron was worn by all NCOs of the East Asian
Occupation Brigade on
the upper left arm.
This NCO also has a shooting award worn
as a
lanyard in imperial colours across his right breast and wears the China
Campaign 1900-01 medal on his left breast (see right) |
China Campaign Medal
(See
Colonial Medals Details Page)
Photo Copyright Doppler |
