The Imperial German Colonial Medal (Kolonialdenkmünze) was established by Kaiser Wilhelm II on 13 June 1912 with revisions on 17 February 1914.  The medal with clasps was awarded retroactively.  This guide will address only the clasp KAMERUN 1904.  The clasp was awarded for actions against rebels in the west and southwest part of Cameroon as well as actions along and over the border with British controlled Nigeria from January to December 1904.   Detailed information is available on the internet and in various books if you would like to read further.

The rebels were engaged in human sacrifices, slave trade, cannibalism, torture, and many secret societies had been established.  In January 1904, the Kongoas attacked the southwest border town of Nsana Kang (as well as other Cameroon towns near Obokum, Nigeria) with the aim of killing all of the German residents.  Many of the Germans were eaten as part of the Juju beliefs of the rebels.  According to the Juju beliefs, captured white men were typically stripped, tied to a pole and carried from village to village where the residents would eat pieces of them in the belief that it would protect them from the white men.  Captured white women were only slighly better off:  they were usually executed fairly quick.  The District Chief, Count von Puckler, was killed by Bascho rebels at Ossidinge and a Herr Küster was killed near the Great River on 17 January.  By now, German and British forces were independently moving in the areas threatened.  Leutnant Scheunemann, with 4 German NCO's and about 96 soldiers, began moving against the Ndsimu and Ngoko forcing the rebels to flee.  After these successful attacks, the rebellion moved to Obokum (up-river from Oburra) and the Njems staged a series of attacks from 10 to 28 March.  The Imperial German Cameroon Defence Force, under Oberst Müller, had arrived at the British border by now (most were based at Gidan Sama) and Major Glauning (later killed in action, Kamerun, April 1908) coordinated patrols with the South Nigeria Regiment (under the command of Captain H. H. Sproule with Lieutenant R. D. Whigham as second in command, based out of Okuni).  Brevet Major H. M. Trenchard undertook the night border patrols in the Nigeria-Cameroon border area.  These patrols concentrated on the Cross River area with the British and German forces mixing at times into joint patrols.  On 16 September, the Resident of the Garua District (Major Thierry) was killed by the Galims near Mubi.  The Duhn, Galims, and Ngatoun rebel attacks continued but the major threat by the Kongoas and Njems had been quelled by the end of March.

KAMERUN 1904 was awarded to the Imperial German Cameroon Defence Force and Police Troops only (which included the attached Germans).   A possible exception can be found to this rule:  Colonial Government officials (Foreign Ministry, Colonial Medical Department, Customs Service, Field Post, and Colonial Government Interpreters) were qualified but all were officially attached to the forces involved.  Naval personnel were not authorized unless attached (it's suspected that 1 Naval Officer may have qualified as part of the Colonial Government attached to the Imperial German Cameroon Defence Force but this clasp was not awarded).  Sources indicate that the number of entitlements was over 1000 (but under 1500) - and not all received it due to the lapse of time (almost 10 years!).   Hauptmann Hans Dominik's Imperial German Cameroon Defence Force based at Jaunde were not eligible for the clasp while the medal only entitlement is still debated with each side offering documentation.  Leutnant Schröder took his Imperial German Cameroon Defence Forces on a patrol in the Yaounde area but the evidence does not clearly indicate if these forces are eligible for the clasp although they were seemingly entitled to the medal at one time or the other.  A number of Imperial German Officers and NCO's were attached to the Imperial German Cameroon Defence Forces with a ratio of roughly 1 Officer to every 2 NCO's over 40 soldiers.  It appears that very few medals without clasp were authorized for Cameroon service in 1904 due to the fact that one had to be qualified for the medal but did not participate in an action for which the clasp was awarded (for instance:  service only against the Bascho on or about 17 January during their attacks against the Germans - if the person was otherwise entitled).   Currently, little research has been accomplished on the recipients but extensive information is available in Die Festzeitung der Deutschen Herrschaft in Kamerun (1904 and 1905 editions), Deutsches Kolonialblatt (1904 and 1905 editions), 1905 Deutscher Kolonial-Atlas mit Jahrbuch, and the German Imperial Gazette (various 1904 and 1905 editions).   German researchers have broken down the actions more specifically.  The Police Troops (commanded by Hauptmann Baron Karl von Gravenreuth) were authorized this clasp for actions during February with the Bamum Expedition.   A Policeman Effumba has been mentioned in obscure notes as performing extraordinarily well during the Bamum Expedition and appears to have been recommended for an award.  The main research problem here is that there are a few Effumba's - with various spellings.  The Imperial German Cameroon Defence Force was authorized this clasp for actions against the Kongoas (17 January-3 March),  Njems (19 January-31 March), Njems (30 March), Duhn (3-4 July), Galims (15 October- 15 November), Ngato (25 December), and the Angang Expedition (5 February-22 August).  Oberst Müller was awarded the Order of the Red Eagle (3rd Class, with crown and swords) in 1905 for his service in 1904.  The 267 British recipients of the Africa General Service Medal with the S.NIGERIA 1904 clasp for these actions are all documented. 

Currently, this clasp is only known in two types:  KAMERUN 1904 and KAMERUN1904 (based on 2 different manufacturer die styles).  Both are ribbon width, wide & tall lettering, and with prong backs (similar to the Franco-Prussian War Medal clasps that have been documented in another guide).  

• In 1984, Oberst Müller's complete medal group is known to exist in Germany
• In 1999, a single clasp for KAMERUN 1904 was sold in Germany for €97 
• In September 2004, a single clasp for KAMERUN 1904 was offered by a German dealer for €300 
• In January 2005, a bronze Colonial Medal with KAMERUN1904 was offered by a German collector for €250 - both were questionable but may have been authentic

Copies and forgeries are known.  Most copies (typically cast) were made for collectors or re-enactors who required an example.  Please review my copy medal guide http://reviews.ebay.com/Worldwide-Military-Medals-Copy-Medal_W0QQugidZ10000000001875117 and forgery medal guide http://reviews.ebay.com/Worldwide-Military-Medals-Forgery-Medals_W0QQugidZ10000000001875079 for a more detailed explanation.  My best advice is:  Buy only from a reputable dealer who specializes in Imperial German medals and who will offer you a 100% guarantee for this clasp.

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