Reichsbahn aged armband WWII German

Reichsbahn aged armband WWII German.

When Hitler and the NSDAP gained power in January 1933 the German railway system was maintained and administered by two civilian organizations, the DR, Deutsches Reichsbahn, (German National Railway), and the, DR-G, Deutsches Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, (German National Railway-Corporation), which were overseen by the national government. Both the DR, and the DR-G were uniformed organizations responsible for all the railways within Greater Germany and eventually in the occupied areas. In February 1937 in a restructuring of the national railways the DR-G was absorbed into the DR. The uniforms and insignia of the DR personnel were modified numerous times during the Third Reich including, July 1935 , June 1936, February 1941, September 1941 and February 1942. As a civilian organization DR personnel were not graded with ranks but were assigned positions as officials.

With the Act for the New Regulation of the Conditions of the Reichsbank and the Deutsche Reichsbahn (Gesetz zur Neuregelung der Verhältnisse der Reichsbank und der Deutschen Reichsbahn) of 10 February 1937 the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft was placed under Reich sovereignty and was given the name Deutsche Reichsbahn.

In all the occupied lands the Reichsbahn endeavored to incorporate the captured railways (rolling stock and infrastructure) into their system. Even towards the end of the war the Reichsbahn continued to move military formations. For example, in the last great offensive, the Battle of the Bulge (from 16 December 1944), tank formations were transported from Hungary to the Ardennes.

The railways managed by the “Eastern Railway Division” (Generaldirektion der Ostbahn) were initially run from that part of the Polish State Railways within the so-called General Government-assigned part of the Polnischen Staatsbahnen (PKP), but from November 1939 by the Ostbahn (Generalgouvernement).

In the campaigns against Poland, Denmark, France, Yugoslavia, Greece etc. the newly acquired standard gauge networks could be used without difficulty. By contrast, after the start of the invasion of Russia on 22 June 1941, the problem arose of transferring troops and materiel to Soviet broad gauge lines or converting them to German standard gauge. Confounding German plans, the Red Army and Soviet railways managed to withdraw or destroy the majority of its rolling stock during its retreat. As a result, German standard gauge rolling stock had to be used for an additional logistic role within Russia; this required the laying of standard gauge track. The price was high: Reichsbahn railway staff and the railway troops of the Wehrmacht had to convert a total of 16,148 kilometres of Soviet trackage to German standard gauge track between 22 June and 8 October 1941.

During the war, locomotives in the war zones were sometimes given camouflage livery. In addition, locomotives were painted with the Hoheitsadler symbol (the eagle, Germany’s traditional symbol of national sovereignty) holding a swastika. On goods wagons the name “Deutsche Reichsbahn” was replaced by the letters “DR”. Postal coaches continued to bear the name “Deutsche Reichspost”.