German Colonial Troops

[Peachy Carnehan]

Here are a few German colonial cabinet photos from my collection

The first image shows two German privates of the 1st Regiment, Deutche ?stliche Asiatiche Brigade. Both men wear what may be the German medal for the Boxer Rebellion. Both men are armed with the Mauser K-98 rifle.

The next image shows what I believe to be a member of one of Imperial Germany's Seebattalions that were roughly equivalent to the United States Marine Corps and the Royal Marines. He appears to be wearing a uniform intended for overseas deployment. The hat with its cloth neck protector would tend to indicate a tropical station. The bold "Auf Wiedersehen!" title on the card mount implies that the photograph was taken just prior to this man shipping out to his overseas posting, possibly the Boxer Rebellion in China (1900).

The third image shows a German private was a member of the Kaiser's Schutztruppen for German South-west Africa - Schutztruppe f?r Deutsch S?dwest Afrika. The reverse of the photograph originally had this soldier's full name and address written on it but the photographer pasted his label on top of the pertinent information. All that can be determined is the soldier's last name of Finke and that he may have lived in Wilhelmshaven.

[Guest Rick Research]

That second photo puzzles me. He is wearing TWO cap cockades, which was not correct for Imperial troops, who only wore the tricolor on their cap band.

[Peachy Carnehan]

That second photo puzzles me. He is wearing TWO cap cockades, which was not correct for Imperial troops, who only wore the tricolor on their cap band.

I have seen such double cockades referenced at:

http://www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk/

[Chris Dale]

I have seen such double cockades referenced at:

http://www.germancolonialuniforms.co.uk/

Thanks for quoting my website and thanks for posting such great photos. The chap with the two cockades is not from the Seebatallion, which along with the Schutztruppe (as Rick said) only wore the imperial cockade. He is also from the East Asian Expeditionary Corps, and being an army unit they wore both imperial and state cockades.

Cheers

Chris

[Mike Blake]

Peachy

Great photos. Would you be prepared to allow the two Boxer related ones to be used in a book on the armies of the Boxer Uprising and 8 Powers War, please? You would, of course, be cited as the source.

Thanks

Mike

[Chris Boonzaier]

Some fantastic bayonet shots there!

[Trajan]

 

The first image shows two German privates of the 1st Regiment, Deutche ?stliche Asiatiche Brigade. Both men wear what may be the German medal for the Boxer Rebellion. Both men are armed with the Mauser K-98 rifle.

 

 

I think that's the Prussian centennial medal. I believe that the China medal had a striped ribbon and these are plain...

Edited August 4, 2015 by Trajan
correct medal ribbon description

[Chris Dale]

In old B&W photos the yellow of a the Kaiser Wilhelm Centenary medal ribbon usually appears very dark. The medal itself is also noticably large. I think these guys are wearing the China medal and that its stripes cannot be seen in this slightly blurred picture. Here's a photo from the P Klein collection of an East Asian Bugler with the Centenary medal.
Cheers
Chris

Edited February 3, 2016 by Chris Dale
image didn't appear