German Railroad Personnel (DRB):
Deutsche Reichsbahn Assistent, District Berlin:
This Reichbahn Assistant (RAss) assigned to the Berlin Line is taking part in the movement of troops to the Polish border prior to the onset of hostilities. The DR’s last major peacetime assignment prior to the start of the Second World War was to transport the Wehrmacht’s (WH) 86 non-motorized divisions to their respective staging positions along Germany’s western borders. This task was successfully accomplished by the DR prior to 01 September 1939.
Throughout the Polish Campaign, the DR was able to satisfy all of the supply, and movement needs of the German Army despite the fact that Polish military forces disrupted, if not down-right destroyed the rail network tearing up large sections of track as they retreated inward. . The Luftwaffe (LH) contributed to the damage to the Polich rail lines even more by bombing the rail lines at their junctions and hubs as they completed their interdiction assignments.
At the conclusion of the Polish Campaign, all of the battle-damaged rail lines had to be repaired before the DR and the WH could gain unimpeded access to the entire Polish railway network in the General-Government. By the middle of October 1939, the DR and the WH had re-established full rail service between Berlin, and Koenigsberg and Breslau to Oppeln. both via Warsaw.
During the Polish campaign, the DR not only played a key role in the movement of large numbers of German troops to their front line positions the DR also served to evacuate many wounded back to rear areas. They also moved the majority of the supplies and ammunition, and vehicles to fight with, even rail kitchens were used at times to feed their larger concentrations of their people.
The Assistant wears a fairly standard blur DR tunic with gold buttons along with a shirt, and black trousers. At this point, he still wears the DR Schirmmutz. He wears the armband when in service with the Army.
