Reichsbahn Photos-Who, What, Where and When?

[cyberia]

This appears to be a response to an threat, possibly partisan





Removing explosive charges

[cyberia]

A track repair crew undoing the work of saboteurs somewhere in the East



Not sure if this German dead or partisan
The result of being struck by a train or an explosion
Anyone care to weigh in

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by cyberia

[
Not sure if this German dead or partisan
The result of being struck by a train or an explosion
Anyone care to weigh in

The body is mangled enough that it could have been either. Honestly I can barely make out human form except for the feet, one of which appears to be severed. The track, from what we can see, appears intact, as do the ties. The rocks between the ties are disturbed some, but not as much as I would expect in an explosion that did that much damage to a human body so I would lean towards having been hit by a train moving at a fairly rapid pace.

Note that the soldier in the center appears also to be taking a photograph of the scene. If ever that photo were to be found it might tell us something about who took these photos. Given the fact that the scene is being photographed by that German soldier I would also guess the deceased is not German.

Note also the calm appearing civilians in the background. If this had been sabotage they would likely not want to be anywhere near the scene.

[Tom Houlihan]

For some reason, it looks like a horse's tail sticking up in the middle of the, er, pile? That does look like a human foot sticking out towards the lower left, but is that a bolt just above the cuff?

[Jim O]

I was thinking the same Tom. I don't see anything that looks like a puddle of blood, but if that's a horse's tail, then it is the rear third or so of a horse and part of the rider perhaps. The thing that appears as a bolt could well be part of a saddle.

[cyberia]

I thought if it had been the result of an explosion it may have been on the other side of the tracks, out of camera frame, and the body was blown over, but Jim's point about the demeanor of the civilians does seem to cancel that theory out.

Whatever it is something very strange must have happened for a single body to attract a crowd at that stage of the war.

[Horch]

Ouch! He might have been one of those who needed a longer pole. But it does sorta look like a train hit 'it'. Really got mooshed.

[cyberia]

Making repairs by day...


...and searching for explosives night

[cyberia]

That warps up the partisan photos. The next grouping is of Allied bombing raids on the Reichsbahn...

Allied bombs fall on a rail station, date and location unknown




The results of a stick dropped along the rail line

[Horch]

Good placement! (the stick)