The Dienstmark of the German Railway Detectives- the Reichsbahn Fahndungs Dienst (RBFD)*

[Poloberst]

A few yeara ago I acquired an example of a previously unknown identity disc for the Reichsbahn Fahndungs Dienst. The disc measures 45mm in diameter, is of iron alloy and minted like the Third Reich police Dienstmarken. The magnetic disc is marked on one side with the national emblem and on the other with the words “Reichsbahn/ Fahndungs/ Dienst” in three lines. This example has been de-nazified apparently for post-WWII usage or by an owner who disliked viewing the swastika. The surface shows some pitting from rust corrosion. In my experience with German police discs, it has been obvious that reproductions of those discs of high iron content such as those for the Gemeinde Kriminalpolizei and Geheime Staatspolizei of late issue are never to be found as the iron content has proved to be too difficult to duplicate. Notice how the font of this disc is identical to the font used in the Zoll Fahndungs Dienst discs that have been in collectors hands for some years and never duplicated. The author has been made aware of an example of this Dienstmark with intact markings.

According to noted Dienstmarken researcher Joachim Streckwaldt, a Dienstmarke was created for the Imperial Prussian Bahnpolizei sometime after 1882. This disc featured the Royal Prussian flying eagle on one side above the name of the respective Prussian EIsenbahn Direktion and on the other side the words “Polizei Beamter Für Einsenbahn Interessen”. This style disc was used through WWI; and, with the creation of the Weimar Republic, the design was modified from the Imperial Prussian eagle to the Prussian State eagle. But the wording on the opposite side of the disc remained the same. In 2003, a disc bearing the same language and an issue number but with a Third Reich State eagle on the reverse side was discovered. Upon discovery, It was believed that this was an example of the Reichsbahn Fahndungsdienst Dienstmarke. But as it bears the text of all previous “Bahnpolizei” discs, is there anything to substantiate this belief.

And of course, as the RRFD detectives would be in civilian clothes, they would need to be armed with concealed weapons such as the Walther PPK. The author has located such an example and it is posted in the firearms section of this forum.

But now we have a obvious period disc of material not suitable to reproduction or fakery that displays the proper state seal and language suitable for a disc of the Reichsbahn Fahndungs Dienst of the Third Reich.

Background:

With the memories of early victories of 1939, 1940 and 1941, the Germans faced the growing problem of strangers in their country: prisoners of war, conscripted labor and displaced persons and German soldiers AWOL. The Reichs Sicherheits Hauptamt (RSHA) saw in the RBFD a natural ally and source of additional manpower for its growing role of policing the homeland. The RBFD was created in 1928 along with the Reichs Bahnpolizei as the two police branches of the nationalized German railroads. The Bahnpolizei was of course the uniformed police force charged with maintaining law and order on railroad property and trains. The RBFD was charged with the investigation and elimination of theft and white collar crime against the Reichsbahn.

But with the increasing difficulty of investigating all manner of crimes within the Reich, the RFSS Himmler saw the RBFD as another tool in control of the populations. Beginning in 1943, the RFSS began negotiations with the Reichsverkehrsministerium (RVM), the Reich Transport Ministry, to bring the RBFD into its sphere of control. Decrees were published in March and April 1943 that allowed the RSHA control of members of the RBFD to assist in the investigation of political or other crimes. As such, the specialized training of its agents and the selection of equipment and personnel was controlled by the RSHA. The RBFD became a Hilfs-Polizei of the RSHA.

In March of 1944, another decree further cemented the RSHA control of the RBFD, further defining the specific areas of jurisdiction as well as incorporating new identification for RBFD agents. The decree specifically authorizes the recall of all former round RBFD identity discs. This recall must be for the steel Reichsbahn Fahndungs Dienst Marke. In place of the round RBFD dics, Dienstmarken similar in design to the Kriminalpolizei Dienstmarken were to be issued, in same size, metal color and with the same eagle on the side. On the other side was to be the word “Reichsbahnfahndungsdienst”. In addition, an Ausweis similar in design to the Kripo Ausweis was authorized. To date, no example of this Dienstmarke or Ausweis has surfaced.

-Information for this article was sourced from the SHAEF manual “The German Police”, period Ministerialblätter d. R.u. P.M.d.I. and the website of Joachim Streckwaldt at Seite wurde nicht gefunden. - Ausweismarke

*Fahndung is a term of varying interpretation. Most interpretations of the Reichsbahn service are a criminal investigation service. But the SHAEF manual discusses the Fahndung as a search for wanted persons.