History of the Colonial Veterans Organisations

I. Early Veterans Organisations 1896-1922
Following their service in the Schutztruppe or other overseas forces, former servicemen often entered into veteran's organisations back home in Germany. The first of these was the Verein ehemaliger Kameraden der afrikanischen Schutztruppen formed in Berlin in 1896. These organisations were at first small and localised but as the numbers of former servicemen grew especially after the First World War, so did the number of organisations.

Veterans who had served in China belonged to the Kriegerverein ehemaliger Ostasiaten. Veterans of the Marine Infantry joined the Verein ehemaliger See Soldaten. Veterans who had served in the Middle East during the First World War had their own organisation, the Bund der Asienkämpfer or BdAK. One of the main roles of the BdAK was to try to trace soldiers (and sometimes whole units) who had gone missing behind enemy lines after the war. Others belonged to broader veterans groups such as the Stahlhelm or para-military groups such as the Freikorps.

These different organisations all issued their own badges and commemorative insignia, some examples of which are shown below from the large collection at Traditionsverband.

Marine Infantry Veterans Badge Verein ehemaliger See Soldaten	Cameroon Schutztruppe Veterans Badge Verein ehemaliger Angehöriger der kaiserlichen Schutztruppe Kamerun	Boxer Rebellion Veterans 25th Anniversary Badge Kriegerverein ehemaliger Ostasiaten
Hamburg East Asian Veterans Badge Verein ehemaliger Ostasiaten Hamburg	Asienkorps Veterans Badge Bund der Asienkämpfer	Colonial Red Cross Women Veterans Badge Deutscher Frauenverein vom Roten Kreuz für die Kolonien
Bamberg Colonial and Naval Veterans Badge Kolonial- und Marinetruppenverein Bamberg	Altona Cameroon Veterans Badge Club Kamerun Altona	Frankfurt China and Africa Veterans Badge Verein ehemaliger China und Afrikakrieger Frankfurt a/M

II. German Colonial Veterans League DKKB 1922-45
In 1922 the former South West African Schutztruppe officer Georg Maercker, formed the Deutsche Kolonialkriegerbund or DKKB intending to unite all colonial veterans organisations (although the BdAK of Asienkorps veterans remained separate). By 1926 they had eighty local branches across Germany and had become one all encompassing organisation for veterans of the all colonies and China.

Maercker with leaders of Veterans Organisations in the 1920s
Note that some wear Schutztruppe Südwester hats and the tropical helmets of the marine infantry and East Asian Occupation Brigade.

In 1933 the DKKB were incorporated under the Reichskolonialbund or RKB, a large political movement founded by former German East African Colonial Governor Dr. Heinrich Schnee for the promotion of the return of Germany's colonies. The RKB was not just a veterans organisation, it welcomed membership from all parts of German society.

Under pressure from the Nazi government Schnee resigned as leader of the Reichskolonialbund in 1936 and was replaced by the former South West African Schutztruppe officer and favourite of Adolf Hitler, Franz Ritter von Epp. To promote their vision of the regained colonies the RKB organised 'Colonial Days' in major German cities featuring speeches, DKKB veterans parades and exhibitions of colonial artefacts.

When war broke out in 1939 the Reichskolonialbund had a total membership of 1.3 million yet became increasingly marginalised by the war effort and were officially disbanded in 1943 by which time German dreams of expansion in Africa were looking highly unlikely.

Prior to then however, from 1938 the veterans of the DKKB had transferred from the Reichskolonialbund to being part of the National Socialist Reichskriegerbund (also confusingly the RKB) which was an all encompassing organisation for veterans of the First World War and all previous campaigns.

III. Post-War Transformation
Like all National Socialist organisations, the Reichskriegerbund and its subsidiaries such as the DKKB were disbanded after the Second World War. In 1956, the remaining colonial veterans formed the Traditionsverband ehemaliger Schutz- und Überseetruppen without the political and militaristic ethos of its predecessors.

This in turn became the Traditionsverband ehemaliger Schutz- und Überseetruppen- Freunde der früheren deutschen Schutzgebiete in 1983; as the veterans fell their histories would be recorded by new generations. The result of which is the Traditionsverband website which researches historical aspects of the German Colonies to this day.

Uniforms of the Colonial Veterans
This is a subject which causes much confusion amongst modern collectors, with post war veterans uniforms often appearing very similar if not identical to pre-war colonial items. From the earliest days, veterans almost always wore the grey felt Schutztruppe Südwester Hat pinned on the right hand side with a German cockade and with hatband and edging in the wearers former colony colours.

I. Imperial and Post-War Era Veterans Uniforms
In the Imperial era and the years following the First World War many veterans still wore their old Schutztruppe 1897 Home Uniforms on parades and public occasions. Others had new uniforms made to the old specifications, often by the same tailoring companies that made them before the war. These cause confusion among modern collectors as they are often impossible to tell apart from pre-war imperial era uniforms.

II. 1920s Uniforms of the Deutsche Kolonial Kriegerbund
In the 1920s various styles of mock-Schutztruppe uniform were made for the DKKB in khaki corduroy, usually closely based on the Schutztruppe design but with several differences, most notably pointed pocket flaps and sometimes seven buttons down the front. They were piped in colony colours with some having the cuffs and collar in colony colours featuring Litzen.

Schutztruppe and Naval Veterans Parade in Munich 1924
Note the 1920s DKKB uniforms with seven buttons down the front, pleated breast pockets with pointed flaps and Litzen braid on the colony coloured collar and Swedish style cuffs, with the foreground figure clearly wearing white for East Africa, while those behind may have blue for South West Africa or red for Cameroon.

III. 1930s Uniforms of the Deutsche Kolonial Kriegerbund
In the early 1930s, the uniforms of the DKKB were standardised. They wore the Schutztruppe Südwester hat with a German cockade and colony coloured hatband and edging. The tunic was similar in design to the Schutztruppe 1896 Tropical Khaki Uniforms, with the same pocket and button arrangements, hussar style shoulder straps in the German colours but with three notable differences. Firstly that the tunic itself was now made from khaki corduroy rather than khaki cloth. Secondly that the tunic itself was now piped in colony colours, whereas as pre-war Schutztruppe khaki tunics had all been piped in blue. And thirdly that the breast pockets now had three pointed scalloped pocket flaps rather than the previous straight ones.

DKKB Tunic
Photo © German Militaria

IV. Insignia of the Deutsche Kolonial Kriegerbund
Due to their various allegiances within the political structure over the years the veterans of the Deutsche Kolonial Kriegerbund developed several forms of insignia over the years.

Original Schutztruppe Insignia
The DKKB retained many details of the former Schutztruppe uniform most notably the same hussar style twisted cord shoulder straps woven in Imperial colours; bearing the imperial crown on their tunic buttons; wearing the same red, white and black aiguillette cords from the shoulder across their left breast as had been worn by officers of the Schutztruppe of their 1897 home uniforms. Musicians of the DKKB band still wore swallows nest insignia on their shoulders as they had done in colonial times.

Rank Insignia
Deutsche Kolonial Kriegerbund rank was shown in the form of bands of white metallic lace on both cuffs with the upper band having a naval style loop. Note that the DKKB rank did not correspond directly to the previous rank held by the veteran in wartime.

Medals
Veterans proudly wore previous awards for colonial and First World War service on all uniforms. From 1935 changes were made to the order in which medals were worn on a bar. These changes included putting medals awarded for the First World War ahead of any awarded prior to the war, putting pre-1914 campaign medals ahead of long service awards and putting awards from other German states (including Austria after 1938) on a level with Prussian awards. The Prussian Iron Cross Second class remained superior to all other medals on a bar.

Peter's Flag Arm Shield
On the left forearm of the tunic was the Peter's Flag ('Petersflagge') shield badge of the DKKB and RKB based on the flag of the old German East Africa Company and named after the explorer and ruthless early colonial governor of East Africa, Dr. Carl Peters. It consisted of a white shield with a black cross. The upper left quadrant was in red with the five stars of the Southern Cross in white.

Peter's Flag Arm Shield of the RKKB
Note the corduroy weave of the RKKB tunic
Photo © German Militaria

V. Colony Colours
Whereas previous Schutztruppe khaki tunics were piped in blue for all colonies, the DKKB tunics were piped in colony colour. The Südwester also had its hatband and edging in the colony colour. Colony colours for the three larger African colonies were the same as before the war, the smaller colonies now all wore green, while veterans of campaign in China wore yellow.

Blue for service in South West Africa
White for service in East Africa
Red for service in Cameroon
Green for service in Togo, New Guinea or Samoa
Yellow for service in China

This is where confusion begins among modern collectors. In the 1912 Schutztruppe uniform regulations, yellow was for Togo, green was for New Guinea and salmon pink for Samoa. Soldiers serving in China were either under direct naval or army command, rather than Schutztruppe and so did not have a colony colour under the Imperial system.

In the 1920s, veterans of service in China were incorporated into the DKKB and so took yellow as a colour colour while the relatively small numbers of German veterans who had served in Togo and the Pacific were lumped together with green.

This would explain why relatively so many items of Schutztruppe uniform appear in modern collections and on sales websites have yellow piping. When we know that only a small handful of German officers served in Togo between the regulations of 1912 and the outbreak of war two years later, it seems more likely that some of these items were made in the 1920s/30s for the many veterans of the III. Seebataillon or East Asian Expeditionary Corps.

Von Lettow-Vorbeck takes the Salute at Colonial Day Bremen 1938
Note that while most of those present give the Nazi straight arm salute, von Lettow-Vorbeck and a few others give the old military salute. Note also the police guard in the left foreground wearing the Landespolizei Südwester with large imperial crown on the side.

VI. Nazi Insignia from 1938
In 1938 the DKKB were incorporated into the Nazi Reichskriegerbund organisation and wore Nazi insignia added to their uniforms. The red swastika armband was worn on the left sleeve and below it the Peter's Flag badge often had a swastika in the centre of the cross. The Reichskriegerbund shield was worn on the lower right sleeve. This consisted of a red shield, bearing a black Iron Cross with a swastika in the centre. The Reichskriegerbund also wore a white metal badge bearing a Nazi eagle clutching a swastika with a black Iron Cross on crossed swords above the right breast pocket.

DKKB Veterans at Colonial Day Vienna 1939
The NCO on the right wears the old Schutztruppe Home Uniform while the other
three wear DKKB uniforms with the Reichskriegerbund shield on the lower right
sleeve and white metal eagle above the right breast pocket. On the right arm of the centre figure is the swastika armband.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

East African First World War Veteran
Colonial Day Vienna 1939
He wears the DKKB khaki corduroy uniform with aiguillette cords and a swastika armband. On the lower left sleeve he has the Petersflagge shield and below that two rank bars with the naval style loop. His Südwester hat has white edging for service in German East Africa. He has an impressive display of medals earned during the First World War including the Prussian Iron Cross, first and second class, the Bavarian Military Merit Cross and the 1914-18 Wound Badge.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

South West African Herero War Veteran
Colonial Day Vienna 1939
He wears the DKKB khaki corduroy uniform with blue edging on his Südwester hat for service in German South West Africa. Note the Reichskriegerbund shield on the lower sleeve and the white metal eagle above the breast. His medal bar shows the South West Africa 1904-08 Medal with three campaign clasps, the semi-official Kreuz Treue dem Regiment and the Prussian 1897 Wilhelm I Centenary Medal, showing that at the time of this phtograph, it is at least forty-two years since this grey bearded veteran first enlisted. 
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

East African Schutztruppe Veteran
Colonial Day Vienna 1939
He wears the DKKB khaki corduroy uniform with white edging on his Südwester hat for service in German East Africa. Note the Reichskriegerbund shield on the lower sleeve and the white metal eagle above the breast.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

South West African Schutztruppe Veteran
Colonial Day Vienna 1939
He wears the DKKB khaki corduroy uniform parade aiguillette cords blue piping and edging on his Südwester hat for service in German South West Africa. The Petersflagge badge and swastika armband are just visible on his left sleeve. He has an impressive display of Prussian and Bavarian medals including several campaign clasps on the South West African Campaign medal as well as the Elephant Order for First World War service worn on the breast.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

South West African Schutztruppe Veteran
Colonial Day Vienna 1939
He wears the DKKB khaki corduroy uniform parade aiguillette cords blue piping and edging on his Südwester hat for service in German South West Africa. His medal bar shows the South West African Campaign medal with several campaign clasps, above his medal bar he wears the NSDAP party membership badge.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

Boxer Rebellion Veteran
Colonial Day Bremen 1938
He wears the DKKB khaki corduroy uniform with aiguillette cords, swastika armband and Reichskriegerbund eagle on the right breast. His Südwester hat has yellow edging for service in China and his medal bar shows the Prussian Iron Cross second class for service in the First World War and the Combatants China Medal for service in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900-01.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

East African Askari Veteran
Colonial Day, Bremen 1938
Mohamed Husen wears a newly made uniform in the style of the Schutztruppe askari uniform. It varies only in small details such as the size of the Tarbusch eagle from the original. He wears the 1914-18 Honour Cross for combatants (although the German authorities had actually refused to award him the honour as it was only available for white soldiers), the Prussian wound badge in black for 1914-18 and an unidentified strip of ribbon above them both. Mohamed was the only former askari to campaign alongside the DKKB, having briefly served as a signals boy in the Schutztruppe in the First World War. He relocated to Berlin after the war working as a waiter, musician and actor (playing roles in several neo-colonial films such as 'Die Reiter von Deutsch-Ostafrika' and 'Carl Peters') until Nazi prejudice turned against him. He died in Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 1944.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

PHOTO GALLERY
This series of early colour photographs was taken of the Deutsche Kolonial Kriegerbund parade on Colonial Day in Bremen 1938
 

Officers of the Deutsche Kolonialkriegerbund parade on Colonial Day, Bremen 1938
The officers in the front row wear their old pre-war home uniforms. Of special interest is the figure saluting on the left at the front of the parade wearing the dark blue uniform of the Marine Infantry with shako.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

NCOs of the Deutsche Kolonialkriegerbund parade on Colonial Day, Bremen 1938
These NCOs of the former Schutztruppe for South West Africa, East Africa and Cameroon all wear the old (or possibly newly made) 1897 Home Uniforms in grey with parade aiguillette cords and colony coloured collar, cuffs, piping and Südwester hat band and edging.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

Deutsche Kolonialkriegerbund parade on Colonial Day, Bremen 1938
This photo shows the veterans wearing the standardised DKKB khaki corduroy uniform with aiguillette cords and Nazi swastika armbands. The white hat trimmings of the East Africa fighters contrast clearly with the blue of their South West African comrades.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

Band of the Deutsche Kolonialkriegerbund parade on Colonial Day, Bremen 1938
This photo shows the veterans wearing the standardised khaki corduroy uniform with swastika armbands and musicians swallows nests on the shoulders. Note the musicians all wear the blue hat trimmings of the South West African Schutztruppe. The bands of the Schutztruppe of East Africa and Cameroon used African musicians under German leadership, only South West Africa had a band of German players. The band leader on the left has the red hat trimmings of a veteran of Cameroon.
Photo © Frankfurt University Koloniales Bildarchiv

Highly Recommended Reading-

"Der Reichskolonialbund und seine kolonialrevisionistische Propagandatätigkeit zwischen, 1933 und 1943" by Arne Schöfert (Published by König). This book tells the story of the RKB and their revisionist propaganda under the Third Reich. Almost every page of the book has photos of the colonial exhibitions organised by the RKB and their organisers along with Nazi colonial propaganda posters, postcards, stamps badges and souvenirs. Of special interest are the uniform details of the Schutztruppe veterans of the DKKB. An excellent and highly recommended book for anyone studying the after effects of German colonialism and Third Reich History.

Please contact me here if you have more information or photos on this topic. 

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