German State Deutsche Reichsbahn portrait

[LarryT]

Here is a rare photo of a young Deutsche Reichsbahn (RBT Hamburg) member with combat medals and awards.

He must have been in a Heer fighting unit and would have seen front line combat.

How he ended up in the DR is a mystery. Possibly an injury prevented him from front line duty, however, he only wears a black wound badge.

Cheers,

Larry

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Larry.

His left hand appears to be an artificial one. That would explain his now service with the Reichsbahn.

However the Silver wound badge would be indicated for the loss of a limb.

Bernhard H. Holst

Edited October 7, 2014 by Bernhard H.Holst

[LarryT]

Hello Larry.

His left hand appears to be an artificial one. That would explain his now service with the Reichsbahn.

However the Silver wound badge would be indicated for the loss of a limb.

Bernhard H. Holst

Hi Bernhard,

Thanks for your reply. His hand under magnification looks to be real. I agree, the loss of a limb qualified you to be awarded at least a silver wound badge.

I thought his left leg looked a bit strange and with him leaning on the table a leg wound may have been the reason he transferred to DR.

However, a closer look shows that he stands on the outside of both feet and a leg wound would have prevented him from performing his duty properly.

Most DR men tended to be a lot older than the young chap in the photo.

Cheers,

Larry

[Jock Auld]

Larry,

I would have thought it due to his injury that a young man would be released from service? Saying that a lot were released in 1940 were they not and then called back up later?

Jock

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Larry and Jock.

Re. magnification: indeed the left hand is the natural one. To note is the engagement band this fellow wears ( in Germany on the left and wedding band on the right.)

Jock, your observation is on the mark with a wave of release from active duty to "bring in the 1940 harvest"it is said.

To remember that not every wound qualifying for medical discharge would be a visible one.

Also this fellow could be an indispensible one, of a trade category which made him "unabkoemmlich" (u.k.) but here after he served on frontline duty.. I do not recollect seeing a railroad employee during my frequent rail travels in 1942-43 so decorated but then more likely he would have been in the repair or signal branches and not in the more visible train or station duties.

A most interesting picture and thanks for showing it.

Bernhard H. Holst

Edited October 8, 2014 by Bernhard H.Holst

[Odulf]

Hi Larry, Never the less all above remakts, a remakable picture, indeed.

Thanx for sharing your keen eye! Enough food for thought.

I love these, please keep them coming....

[LarryT]

Thank you to all who have replied.

Bernhard's explanation makes sense. He must have been indispensable to the DR to have been employed by them after serving at the front.

I have a small DR photo collection and I thought I might share more photos with you all to enjoy and discuss.

Here is a Deutsche Reichsbahn man wearing a rare Ostbahn cuff band.

Cheers,

Larry

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Larry.

Another nice picture.

Probably decorated for service at very exposed railroad areas subject to partisan attacks at any time.

Bernhard H.Holst

Edited October 8, 2014 by Bernhard H.Holst

[Paul R]

The WB looks black to me.

[Jock Auld]

Paul,

I think you are correct if we take the IA as silver then the WB is black.

Jock

[LarryT]

Hi Paul,

Yes the WB is the black version.

Hi Bernhard,

His ribbon is for the Kriegsverdienstkreuz (KVK or War Merit Cross.)

This was awarded to military and civilians for bravery not directly connected to front line actions. This is the kind of award that would have been issued to DR

members who fought off partisan attacks, and other types of attacks behind front lines.

At least some DR men received rudimentary weapons training. Here is a photo showing DR men with rifles at a shooting range. Weapons are not often seen in DR portraits.

Cheers,

Larry

[Paul R]

What is the rank of the man sitting down? I am unfamiliar with that collar patch.

[LarryT]

What is the rank of the man sitting down? I am unfamiliar with that collar patch.

Hi Paul,

The DRB ranking system was kind of complicated and was based on pay scales. His collar insignia shows he is a senior official.

See rank chart below. His insignia is third from left, bottom row.

Cheers,

Larry

[Odulf]

I have here another one arm Reichsbahn guy.... so invalids with the RB were not an exception.

He is wearing the pre 1941 uniform

Edited October 11, 2014 by Odulf

[Odulf]

Pistol shooting RB guy

Edited October 11, 2014 by Odulf

[LarryT]

Nice photos.

I wonder what duties the one-armed man did. ticket collector perhaps or station duties.

The second photo is also interesting. Bahnschutz perhaps.

Here is another pistol in wear photo.

Cheers,

Larry

[nesredep]

Hello!

This is my only contrybution to this thread.

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-1000-0-21818600-1413035034.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-1000-0-13750800-1413035049.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2014/post-1000-0-54386400-1413035062.jpg

Regards Morten.

[LarryT]

Thanks Morten. That kind of information is very useful.

Here is another portrait. He wears a WVD Brussels arm patch.

Cheers,

Larry

[nesredep]

Thanks Morten. That kind of information is very useful.

Here is another portrait. He wears a WVD Brussels arm patch.

Cheers,

Larry

I appreciate your comment Larry! Nice photo you sharing.

[LarryT]

My Pleasure.

Found this link to a site over at WA forum. It is about DRB in Paris, France. It is in French but still nice information about DRB in an occupied country. http://www.occupation-de-paris.com/2012/06/die-deutsche-reichsbahn.html

Here is another portrait, this one with a WVD Paris arm patch on his left sleeve.

Cheers,

Larry

[Odulf]

In my collection I found another RB guy with one arm

[LarryT]

Great photo. It proves that men with severe disabilities served in the DRB. He looks like he's old enough to be a WW1 vet.

Which brings me back to the photo that started this thread. If the young man was invalided out of the war at the front why is he only wearing a black wound badge.

Here is a DRB man wearing a side cap.

Cheers,

Larry

[LarryT]

Group of DRB men, some wearing Deutsche Wehrmacht arm bands. On active service and possibly in the act of transferring somewhere.

Cheers,

Larry

[LarryT]

DRB man with his dog.

Cheers,

Larry

[LarryT]

Bahnschutz portrait with the man at right wearing a Bahnschutz cuff band.

Cheers,

Larry

Edited October 29, 2014 by LarryT