Protection Force for German Southwest Africa. Please note the shoulder boards and various insignia may differ from the historical equivalents from lack of source material. Schutztruppen was the official name of colonial troops in Africa in service of the German Empire. They consisted of German volunteers and recruited from the indigenous people from the German colonies. The indigenous contingents became famous as Askari, meaning soldier in Arabic and Swahili. During the First World War, one Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck led one of the most successful guerilla campaigns in history against French and British forces in East Africa. The colonial forces for German Southwest Africa consisted of volunteers from the imperial army and navy, including some Austrians.