|
This is a photograph of a
unit of the German East African
Polizeitruppe taken in East Africa probably sometime between 1906
and 1914.
Note the German NCO on the far
left of the group (see close up below). He is wearing a regulation
white tropical helmet on which can be seen two badges. They would have
been a small brass imperial eagle (authorised in 1906) and a small
imperial cockade. His tunic is the standard white tropical tunic,
similar to the Schutztruppe 1896 white tunic but without the piping,
and with brass buttons. His shoulder straps display his rank and would
be edged in Polizeitruppe red. He wears khaki riding breeches tucked
into brown leather gaiters and ankle boots. He wears a brown leather
belt fastened with a Schutztruppe other ranks belt buckle (see
Belt Buckles Details Page).
The askaris are wearing
standard uniform for the East African Polizeitruppe of this period. They wore the same uniform khaki tarbush
and uniform with blue-grey puttees and brown leather boots and
equipment as the Schutztruppe askaris but were distinguished by a
white oval patch with a red letter P, worn on the upper left arm and a
noticeably larger eagle worn on the front of the tarbush headdress
made of yellow metal rather than the Schutztruppe's white metal. Tunic
buttons for the Polizeitruppe were also yellow metal.
Note also that the askari
NCO standing directly behind the German NCO in the photograph has his
"P" badge partially obscured by his NCO red chevrons (see
NCO Rank Insignia Page) and also
has marksmanship bars around his cuff (see
Specialist Insignia Page)
Please respect the
generosity of
Tobias Weber in sharing this photograph with us by not reproducing it
without prior permission.
|
