At first these officers retained their ranks from their previous service- lieutenants, second lieutenants, captains (and possibly a major). In the mid 1890s these ranks were dispensed with to form a single rank of Effendi. As relations between the German officers and their askaris improved, it was felt that the Effendi were no longer needed and they were gradually being phased out with no new promotions from askari NCO ranks given. By 1914 there were only two Effendi serving in the Schutztruppe of German East Africa. During the First World War however at least three further askari NCOs were promoted to the rank of Effendi for exemplary service and leadership.

Uniforms of the Effendi
The Effendi wore the same khaki and white uniforms as German Schutztruppe Officers and NCOs but without the blue piping. Matching trousers were sometimes worn loose over their boots without other ranks puttees, in the style of German officers when not on active service. Headdress for the Effendi was the same as for askari other ranks, either a red fez or a khaki tarbush but with a large yellow metal eagle for the Effendi. As with German officers, Effendi were entitled to carry a sword rather than the bayonet carried by African other ranks.

Period photographs show that the Effendi sometimes wore uniforms showing personal irregularities from these official descriptions. These range from not having a Tarbush eagle at all or wearing riding boots to still wearing their old Anglo-Egyptian army dark blue parade tunic in one photograph.

Figure 1
Schutztruppe Effendi
c1892

The Illustrations

Figure 1 is based on a photograph of a Schutztruppe Effendi taken in the early 1890s. As mentioned above, not all Effendi were African, this particular Effendi Fahim was of Greek origin. He wears the same uniform as a German Schutztruppe Officer of the period (dark khaki, six brass buttons, four pockets with a brass imperial crown on either end of the stand and fall collar) but with an askari red fez. He wears two brass stars on his shoulder straps denoting him as an Oberleutnant. His medals are those earned in both German and Anglo-Egyptian service and from left to right are the German War Service Medal ("Kriegerverdienstmedaille"), the British Egypt Campaign Medal with two clasps and the Egyptian Khedive’s Star Medal.
Recommended External Link - Photos of a Medal Bar at the Gentlemen's Military Interest Club)

Figure 2 is based on a photograph of a Schutztruppe Effendi taken sometime in the early 20th Century. He wears the German Schutztruppe 1896 khaki tunic, without blue piping and with plain khaki shoulder straps with three white metal stars on the shoulder straps. Like the previous figure he wears the off duty red fez in place of a tarbush and wears medals both from German and Anglo-Egyptian service (most likely the German War Service Medal and the British Egypt Campaign Medal). He carries a sword as befitting his rank, although it may not have been carried in action. Note that this Effendi curiously wears a Schutztruppe officers belt buckle with an other ranks brown leather belt and a strip of the officer's silver, red and black belt worn to one side of the buckle. He wears brown leather riding boots.

Figure 2
Schutztruppe Effendi
c1905