German South West African Landespolizei
Tropical Uniforms 1907-15

Figure 1 Polizei-Sergeant Windhoek

White and Khaki Uniforms Both white and khaki tropical uniforms were authorised for wear by the Landespolizei on 28th September 1907. They were the same cut as the 1896 Schutztruppe Uniform but without the  Schutztruppe blue piping, shoulder straps and white metal buttons. Instead Landespolizei green shoulder straps, yellow metal buttons (with the imperial crown) and rank collar pips were worn as seen on the 1907 Landespolizei Dark Khaki Uniform. Matching white and khaki trousers could be worn with the tropical uniform, again without Schutztruppe blue piping. Figure 1 is based on a photograph of a Polizei-Sergeant of the South West African Landespolizei wearing the white tropical tunic with the same Landespolizei rank insignia as worn on the dark khaki uniform, in this case a single rank pip on the collar and plain green shoulder straps showing him to be a Polizei-Sergeant. This Sergeant wears the riding breeches from his dark khaki uniform with reinforced leather inner legs, instead of the matching white trousers. He wears short brown leather boots and gaiters. His headdress is the the peaked field cap worn by all ranks when not wearing the Südwester, in a matching shade to the dark khaki Landespolizei uniform with hatband and piping in green with a small imperial cockade at the front. This sergeant carries a sword (unlike in the Schutztruppe, ranks as low as Sergeant were permitted to carry a sword in the Landespolizei) with an other ranks sword knot ("Faustriemen") in green with a white band as was standard in the Landespolizei.

	Tropical Helmets Usually the Landespolizei Südwester and peaked field cap from the dark khaki uniform were worn with white or khaki tropical uniforms, however there were some areas of German South West Africa where the climate was so unbearably hot that tropical helmets were issued. The Landespolizei tropical helmets were cork, tall and covered with white cloth. They had a yellow metal imperial crown (the same as on the Landespolizei Südwester) above a small imperial cockade. The first Landespolizei unit to be issued tropical helmets were serving in the diamond mining area. Diamonds were discovered South of Lüderitzbucht and mining commenced in 1907. To police the area there were several small outposts of Landespolizei across the South Western corner of the colony. In May 1908 they numbered 2 Wachtmeister and 22 Sergeanten with an unknown number of African Polizeidiener. By April 1914 this figure had grown to 6 Wachtmeister, 60 Sergeanten and 47 Polizeidiener. The second was the Caprivi Strip- a long thin piece of land ceded by the British and added onto the German colony in 1890 as part of the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty. It had strategic importance but little other value. A police force was established there in August 1909. It consisted of 15 or so Polizei-Diener wearing East Africa Askari Uniforms, their German officers and NCOs wore tropical uniforms and both white and khaki tropical helmets. Figure 2 is based on a photograph of a Polizei-Sergeant of the South West African Landespolizei taken in the Diamond Mining area South of Lüderitzbucht. He is wearing the khaki tropical uniform with the same Landespolizei insignia as worn on the dark khaki uniform, in this case a single rank pip on the collar and plain green shoulder straps showing him to be a Polizei-Sergeant. He carries the Sam Brown style ammunition belt over his right shoulder. In this example as on several others, only the lower two pouches can be seen to contain ammunition, this may have been for comfort and to facilitate firing a rifle from the right shoulder. He wears matching khaki trousers and short leather boots with leather gaiters. Most notably he wears the Landespolizei tropical helmet, tall and white with a yellow metal imperial crown over an imperial cockade on the front.	Figure 2 Polizei-Sergeant Diamond Mining Area
Landespolizei Tropical Helmet The helmet is of the 1891 Schutztruppe pattern in cork covered with white cloth. It has a yellow metal imperial crown (the same as on the Landespolizei Südwester) above a small imperial cockade.It was issued to the Landespolizei in the Diamond mining area south of Lüderitzbucht. Photo from Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg © Mark Schellenberg 2016