The French used quite a few black troops in the occupation of the Ruhr and the Nazis made sure to sterilize all the children that resulted when they came to power. They of course believed that the French had used black troops for that purpose deliberately, which they may have done. A Canadian officer captured in 1915 mentioned how when he and some other prisoners were being taken back, the Germans put a couple of French Algerian or black soldiers, who had mostly been gassed, into each compartment so they could "enjoy their company" or words to that effect.
It looks as if they've thrown away the badges from the Field Service caps to avoid identification of units.
One more photo, Who are the the men in the black kit, [ Police ]. British pows in front and French pows. Keith
They look more German to me. Helmets look too flat on the top to be French. Strange but German fire brigade look similar. http://archives.collectorsfirearms.com/?category=925&page=2&category=&product=mh289
I think the text in question in post #110 reads Wellingen[,] Pellinger Berg, which would fit because it's in the Saarland.
We have just inaugurated a monument to one of these colonial POW's: when evacuated in the direction of Germany, in Southern Belgium, that man, a moroccan, was just shot by a german sentinel, only because he stopped to "satisfy a natural need". If you need a picture?
Thank you for the offer - feel free to post the image(s) on this thread. I'm sure we'd be happy to see them.