Reichsbahn Photos-Who, What, Where and When?

[Pirate-Drakk]

Originally Posted by Tom Houlihan

If you look closely at the sign, you'll note that it says General d. Inf. Gercke. I'm not familiar with the Herr General, but his lads named a bridge after him, so he must have been alright!

Apparently Gercke was a bigshot! This is from the Nuremberg trials

"A particularly important affidavit is Affidavit 3146 of General Gercke. General Gercke was, from August, 1939, to the end of the war, chief of transport in the OKH. He states that the transports of Soviet prisoners of war were treated exactly like the transports of other prisoners of war. The prisoners were transported together in closed freight cars, and orders deviating from this procedure were never issued. Open flat cars, as contended by the prosecution, were used only very seldom and only on transports over short distances, because there was a great scarcity of the closed type of car. In no case were transports in the winter sent intentionally in open cars in order to let the prisoners freeze to death. That is shown by Affidavit 3146."

From:
Trials of German Major War Criminals: Volume 21

[Jim O]

Makes perfect sense that he might have a railway bridge named for him.

See General der Infanterie Rudolf Gercke for details of his career.

[Horch]

Originally Posted by cyberia

Right behind him.

I don't see a rifle. You aren't referring to the hand rail to board the train are you?

[McCoy]

It's more likely that he's a railroadrange NCO.

[cyberia]

Another occupation shot, I believe this one is from France




Judging from the sign, I believe this photo is of a Baudienst work group possibly in Poland.

According to a German site Baudienst was a program started in Poland to secure a labor force in the service of the occupying government. It is possible these men are changing the gage of the tracks from the narrow Soviet gage to that used by German trains.

[cyberia]

Very cold duty somewhere in the East





Since this photo was marked Ost, I assume these troops are moving further east

[cyberia]

Soviet POWs being sent West. Few unfortunately would be making the return trip




A boxcar that appears to be in use as an administrative office

[cyberia]

Delivery of new wheels or switching over gages?




Rail station somewhere in the east, exact location unknown

[cyberia]

The majority of the preceding photographs I have posted in this thread I had already posted on another site.

To the best of my knowledge most of those that follow have only been seen by myself and a few relatives since the end of the war...

Troops shimmy along loose bridge rails to inspect sabotage by partisans




A solider either removing a partisan set charge, or placing a German one

[cyberia]

Checking for explosives... I would have asked for a longer pole





A handcar patrol inspecting evidence of saboteurs