Did you know that in 1964 the German government decided to back pay East African soliders (Askari) that had fought for them in WWI. Many had no proof of service so they had to perform the Manual of arms in German with a broom to prove themselves. Not one of them failed
Askari is an Arabic word meaning “soldier” (Arabic: عسكري ‘askarī). It was normally used to describe local troops in East Africa, Northeast Africa, and Central Africa serving in the armies of European colonial powers. The designation can, however, also describe police, gendarmerie and security guards.[1] The word has since been adopted in Amharic, Bosnian, Italian, Persian, Polish, Somali, Swahili, Turkish and Urdu.
During the period of European colonial empires in Africa, locally recruited soldiers were employed by Italian, British, Portuguese, German and Belgian colonial armies. They played a crucial role in the conquest of the various colonial possessions, and subsequently served as garrison and internal security forces. During both World Wars askari units served outside their colonies of origin, in various parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
In 1964 the German government decided to back pay East African soliders (Askari) that had fought for them in WWI. Many had no proof of service so they had to perform the Manual of arms in German with a broom to prove themselves. Not one of them failed
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